The Crystal Structure of Tolfenamic Acid $(C_{14}H_{12}ClNO_2)$, an Antiinflammatory Fenamate

The structural analysis of tolfenamic acid, 2-[(3-chloro-2-methylphenyl)-amino]benzoic acid, was performed by single crystal X-ray diffraction technique. The compound was recrystallized from a mixture of ether and toluene in triclinic, space group $P2_1/c, \;with\; \partial=3.914(1), \; b=22.\; 020(2), \; c=14.271(1)\;{\AA}, \beta.=94.68(1)^{\circ}, $ and Z=4. The calculated density is $1.418 g/cm^3$. The structure was solved by the direct method and refined by full matrix least-squares procedure to the final R value of 0.039 for 1773 independent reflections. In the molecule, carboxyl group at the anthranilic acid is coplanar to the phenyl ring. The dihedral angle between the two aromatic rings of the molecule is $44.2^{\circ}$ The molecules are dirnerized through the intermolecular hydrogen bonds at the carboxyl group in the crystal.