2,5-Diaziridinyl-3-phenyl-p-benzoquinone

The crystal structure of the title compound, C₁₆H₁₄N₂O₂, a novel anticancer agent, has been determined at 295 (1) K. The aziridine rings form approximately regular triangles, with N—C distances of 1.443 (5)–1.457 (5) Å, C—C distances of 1.462 (6) and 1.467 (6) Å, C—N—C angles of 60.5 (3) and 60.7 (3)°, and C—C—N angles of 59.7 (3)–60.1 (3)°. The aziridine ring planes make dihedral angles of 48.1 (3) and 48.3 (3)° with the quinone ring. The dihedral angle between the quinone ring plane and the phenyl ring is 49.8 (2)°. The mol­ecules are linked by C—H...X hydrogen bonding into bilayers which stack along the c axis; C...O distances range from 3.355 (4) to 3.631 (5) Å and the unique C...N distance is 3.427 (5) Å.

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