The crystal structures of the herbicide trifluralin (1), and two of its photodegradation products, namely, N‐n‐propyl‐2,6‐dinitro‐4‐trifluoromethylaniline (2) and 2‐ethyl‐7‐nitro‐5‐trifluoromethyl‐1H‐benzimidazole 3‐oxide (3), were determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The presence of the N‐hydroxy tautomer of 3 was detected in the solid state both by X‐ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy (IR), while in dimethyl sulfoxide‐d6 ((CD3)2SO) solution, the N‐oxide tautomer was observed by hydrogen‐1 nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR).
In order to determine whether 1, 2, and 3 form complexes with cyclodextrins in aqueous solutions as well as in the solid state, the interaction of 1 to 3 with β‐cyclodextrin in aqueous solutions containing 1% acetonitrile (ACN) and the interaction of 1 to 3 in the solid state with both native and derivatized cyclodextrins were investigated. In aqueous solutions containing 1% ACN, the association constants for the formation of 1:1 complexes were calculated for 1 and 2 as (25 ± 7) × 101M–1 and (18 ± 2) × 101M–1, respectively, whereas that for 3 could not be determined. Extensive trials aimed at obtaining solid complexes of 1 to 3 with both native and selected crystalline derivatized cyclodextrins using different methods failed to produce inclusion complexes.