Abstract
The single-crystal structure of N-methyl-N-phenyl-1,10-phenanthroline-2-carboxamide, MePhPTA, which is a promising ligand for the effective disposal of high-level radioactive waste, was determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure was solved by a direct method, and refined to R = 0.040. The oxygen atom of the amide group is oriented to the same side of the nitrogen atoms of the phenanthroline moiety. This conformation would be advantageous on metal coordination as a tridentate ligand with one oxygen on an amide group and two nitrogens on the phenanthroline moiety.
