Understanding the supramolecular environment of crystal structures is necessary to facilitate designing molecules with desirable properties. A series of 12 novel 1,3,5-tris(1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)benzenes was used to assess the existence of planar stacking columns in supramolecular structures of pyrazoles. This class of molecules with different substituents may assist in understanding how small structural changes affect the supramolecular environment. The obtained compounds did not present the formation of planar stacking interactions between benzenes in solid or liquid states. This supposition was indicated by single crystal diffraction, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) calculations, and concentration-dependent liquid-state ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR showed that chemical shifts of benzene and pyrazole hydrogens confirm that planar stacking interactions are not formed in solution. The crystalline structures presented different molecular conformations. The molecular structures of 5 and 9b are in a twisted conformation, while compound 7 showed a conformation analogous to a calyx form.
Keywords: NMR; QTAIM; X-ray; crystal engineering; crystal structure; pyrazoles; supramolecular chemistry.