Compounds 1 and 2 have been characterized by IR, NMR and electron-impact mass spectroscopy and their structures determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The molecular structures of 1 and 2 in the solid state do not differ significantly.
However, whereas the packing of aldehyde 1 is essentially molecular, alcohol 2 forms supramolecular structures via extensive hydrogen O - H...O bonding.