Bis{4-[(3-phenylallylidene)amino]cyclohexyl}methane trichloromethane solvate

The title compound, C31H38N2, was prepared from bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane and two equivalents of cinnamaldehyde. The cyclohexyl groups each show a chair conformation and the α,β-unsaturated imine side chains are all-trans configured. Two molecules of the title compound as well as two trichloromethane solvent molecules are present in the asymmetric unit. The solvent molecules interact with the diimines via weak C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds.

The title compound, C 31 H 38 N 2 , was prepared from bis(4aminocyclohexyl)methane and two equivalents of cinnamaldehyde. The cyclohexyl groups each show a chair conformation and the ,-unsaturated imine side chains are all-trans configured. Two molecules of the title compound as well as two trichloromethane solvent molecules are present in the asymmetric unit. The solvent molecules interact with the diimines via weak C-HÁ Á ÁN hydrogen bonds.
Financial support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 436) is gratefully acknowledged.
further purified the title compound by recrystallization from chloroform.
In the crystal structure two symmetry independent molecules of the title compound as well as two additional solvent molecules are observed in one asymmetric unit. The solvent molecules interact with the diimines via weak C-H···N hydrogen bonds (Desiraju & Steiner, 1999). As it is expected the cyclohexyl rings all adopt chair conformations whereas the 3-phenyl-allylidene units show an all-trans configuration leading to a streched shape of the molecules of the title compound ( Figure 1). All bond lengths and angles are of expected values.

S2. Experimental
The title compund was synthesized according to a literature procedure published by some of us (Imhof & Göbel, 2005).
Identity was shown by comparison of the 1 H-NMR spectrum of the title compound with the reported spectra.
Recrystallization of the title compound from anhydrous chloroform yielded the title compound as colourless crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction.

S3. Refinement
Hydrogen atoms were calculated in idealized positions and refined with distances of 1.00 Å (R 3 C-H), 0.99 Å (R 2 C-H 2 ), and 0.95 Å (aromatic and olefinic CH). All hydrogen atoms were refined using a riding model with U iso (H) = 1.2 times U iso (C).