Hydrogen bonding in N,N'-bis[(1S)-2-azido-1-(2-methylpropyl)ethyl]oxalamide: twofold symmetry of R(2)(2)(10) hydrogen-bonded dimers connected into an alpha-network.

The title compound, C(14)H(26)N(8)O(2), belongs to a class of retropeptides with an oxalamide unit (-NH-CO-CO-NH-), and is a precursor for the synthesis of an amine-terminal gelator. The compound is a good synthon for one-dimensional hydrogen bonding. The crystal structure reveals a hydrogen-bonded cyclic dimer with unusual twofold rotation symmetry.