Crystal structure of 1H-imidazole-1-methanol.

The synthesis and the crystal structure of 1H-imidazole-1-methanol, C4H6N2O, are described. This compound comprises an imidazole ring with a methanol group attached at the 1-position affording an imine nitro-gen atom able to receive a hydrogen bond and an alcohol group able to donate to a hydrogen bond. This imidazole methanol crystallizes with monoclinic (P21/n) symmetry with three symmetry-unique mol-ecules. These three mol-ecules are connected via O-H⋯N hydrogen bonding in a head-to-tail configuration to form independent three-membered macrocycles.