N-[3-(2,6-Dimethylanilino)-1-methylbut-2-enylidene]-2,6-dimethylanilinium chloride

The title salt, C21H27N2+center dot Cl- resulted from the condensation between 2,6-dimethylaniline and acetylacetone in acidified ethanol. The bulky cation is stabilized in a beta-iminoenamine tautomeric form, and presents a W-shaped conformation. The benzene rings are arranged almost parallel, with a dihedral angle of 6.58 (4)degrees between the mean planes. Both N-H groups in the cation form strong hydrogen bonds with two symmetry-related chloride anions. The resulting supramolecular structure is a one dimensional polymer running along [001], alternating cations and anions. The pi-pi interaction observed in the molecule, characterized by a centroid-centroid separation of 4.298 (4) angstrom, is thus extended to the chains, with separations of 5.222 (4) angstrom between benzene rings of neighbouring cations in the crystal.