Solid-state behaviour of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate esters: supramolecular assembly into infinite tapes

In the solid state, diesters of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid assemble into edge-to-edge, front-to-back associated tapes involving a novel triple supramolecular contact consisting of one N-pyridine***H-C-pyridine and two C=O***H-C-pyridine interactions. This intermolecular contact is robust, proving insensitive to additional interactions involving the side arms, and is also observed when the orientation of the pyridine core is reversed