Investigation of a Privileged Polymorphic Motif: a Dimeric ROY Derivative.

Bis(5-methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophenecarbonitrilyl)acetylene, a derivative of the highly polymorphic compound 5-methyl-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino]-3-thiophenecarbonitrile (ROY) that possesses two chromophores electronically coupled through a triple bond, was found to be trimorphic. Structural data for two of these forms indicates that symmetry is maintained in one structure and broken in the other leading to spontaneous differentiation of the methyl-thiophenecarbonitrile units. This study contributes to the mounting evidence that ROY and its derivatives are particularly prone to polymorphism.