Crystal structure of (E)-1,2-Bis(1,1-dimethyl-2-oxopropyl)diaz-1-ene-1,2-diium-1,2-diolate, the trans-Dimer of 3-Methyl-3-nitrosobutan-2-one

The solid state structure of (E)-1,2-bis(1,1-dimethyl-2-oxopropyl)diaz-1-ene-1,2-diium-1,2-diolate, (3a), the trans-dimer of 3-methyl-3-nitrosobutan-2-one, has been determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis; subsequent comparison of the observed geometrical parameters for 3a with the literature values for eleven other trans or (E)-dimers suggests that there is no correlation between the N - N distances in these dimers and their respective rates of dissociation to monomer in solution.