A study of α -resorcinol by neutron diffraction

The first study of an aromatic molecule by neutron diffraction, leading to a Fourier projection of the neutron scattering density in the unit cell, gives a value of 1$\cdot $08 $\pm $ 0$\cdot $04 angstrom for the length of the C$\chembond{1,0} $H bonds which link hydrogen atoms to the benzene ring. The spirals of hydrogen bonds which bind together neighbouring molecules are found to consist of typical 'long bonds', with the proton much closer to one oxygen atom than to the other. The O$\chembond{1,0} $H distance is 1$\cdot $02 angstrom, and it appears that the O, H, O atoms are not collinear.