Synthesis and crystal structure of triethyl 1,2,2-triphenylpyrrolidine-3,4,5-tricarboxylate, a proline derivative

The title compound (C31H33NO6, M-r = 515.58) was synthesized by the reactio n of N-diphenylmethylidene aniline and ethyl diazoacetate. Its crystal belo ngs to the orthorhombic system, space group Pbca, with a = 11.746(1), b = 1 7.179(1), c = 27.792(2) Angstrom, V = 5608.0(7) Angstrom(3), Z = 8, D-c = 1 .221 g/cm(3), F(000) = 2192, mu = 0.084 mm(-1), lambda(MoK alpha) = 0.71073 Angstrom. Refinement with 343 parameters and 3071 independent reflections with I>2 sigma(I) gave R = 0.087 and wR = 0.22. In the title compound, the pyrrolidine ring system is in an envelope conformation with the atoms C (1) , N(1), C(3) and C(4) in common plane and the atom C(2) lying 0.622(3) Angs trom out of this plane. The ethoxycarbonyl groups on the atoms C(1) and C(3 ) are in the same side of the pyrrolidine ring while the ethoxycarbonyl gro up on the atom C(2) and the phenyl group on the atom N(1) are in the other side.