Tetrahexylsexithiophene: crystal structure and molecular mechanics calculations

The synthesis, crystal structure and detatiled molecular mechanics calculations, including crystal packing interactions, of tetrahexylsubstituted sexithienylene are presented. Unexpectedly the molecule, which arranges in the P-1 space group, displays no herringbone arrangement, thienylenic rings are far from coplanarity and the alkylic side chains present different conformations. Molecular mechanics fully accounts for these findings. From crystal packing computations it is derived that different arrangements are unable to lower the packing energy, due to the closeness of two alkyl chains on the same side of the thienylenic backbone, which prevents interspersion of non-parallel molecules.