An-Najah Staff

1-Methylphenanthro[3,4-b]thiophene was prepared by the photocyclization of 1-(4′-methyl-2′-thienyl)-2-(2″-naphthyl)ethene. The ¹H and ¹³C-nmr spectra were assigned using two-dimensional ¹H/¹³C heteronuclear chemical shift correlation and relayed coherence transfer (RELAY) experiments. From nuclear Overhauser difference spectra, the H11-C1 methyl-H intramolecular distance was determined to be 2.10 Å. The molecule crystallized from chloroform in the monoclinic system, space group P2₁/c. A total of 3536 unique reflections were measured and the structure was solved by direct methods and refined to a final R = 0.049. The molecule is helical with both chiral forms observed in the crystal. The H11-C1 methyl-H distance in the crystal was 2.12(3)Å in excellent agreement with the distance measured in solution by NOE techniques.