Structure guided or structure guiding? Mixed carbon/hydrogen bonding in a bis-Schiff base of N-allyl isatin

Abstract

A supramolecular motif listed as ‘carbon bonded’ or ‘hydrogen bonded’ may have the character of both. We highlight the hybrid character of the non-covalent interaction in a bis-Schiff base of N-allyl isatin by theoretical studies, the solid state structure of which is mainly driven by a non-covalent carbon/hydrogen bonded self-complementary dimeric {⋯C–N–CO/H–C–N–CO}₂ synthon.