Identification, classification and relative stability of tautomers in the cambridge structural database

Abstract

Families of tautomers in the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) have been identified, analysed and classified. We identified 108 molecules that crystallise in two different tautomeric forms. Most commonly, pairs of tautomers crystallise together in the same crystal structure. Tautomeric polymorphs—pairs of tautomers crystallising in different crystal structures with no other or identical components—are very rare. The calculation of the relative stabilities of the different pairs of tautomers mirrors the relative frequencies with which tautomeric forms are observed in the CSD. Our improved understanding of the factors influencing tautomeric preferences in crystal structures may allow the prediction and design of crystal structures containing tautomeric forms that are, as yet, unobserved in the solid state.