Determination of the low-temperature structure of hexamethylbenzene.

The low-temperature structure of hexamethylbenzene has been determined from neutron powder diffraction data and found to differ from the room-temperature phase predominantly by a translation of molecular planes to a form a cubic close-packed type structure. By performing measurements as a function of temperature, the role of thermally induced agitation of the molecular units in the first-order phase transition is clearly demonstrated.