Three structures containing (E)-1,2-bis­(benzimidazol-2-yl)ethene groups

Two of the title compounds, namely (E)‐1,2‐bis­(1‐methyl­benzimidazol‐2‐yl)ethene, C18H16N4, (Ib), and (E)‐1,2‐bis­(1‐ethyl­benzimidazol‐2‐yl)ethene, C20H20N4, (Ic), consist of centrosymmetric trans‐bis­(1‐alkyl­benzimidazol‐2‐yl)ethene mol­ecules, while 3‐eth­yl‐2‐[(E)‐2‐(1‐ethyl­benzimidazol‐2‐yl)­ethen­yl]benzimidazol‐1‐ium perchlorate, C20H21N4+·ClO4−, (II), contains the monoprotonated analogue of compound (Ic). In the three structures, the benzimidazole and benzimidazolium moieties are essentially planar; the geometric parameters for the ethene linkages and their bonds to the aromatic groups are consistent with double and single bonds, respectively, implying little, if any, conjugation of the central C=C bonds with the nitro­gen‐containing rings. The C—N bond lengths in the N=C—N part of the benzimidazole groups differ and are consistent with localized imine C=N and amine C—N linkages in (Ib) and (Ic); in contrast, the corresponding distances in the benzimidazolium cation are equal in (II), consistent with electron delocalization resulting from protonation of the amine N atom. Crystals of (Ib) and (Ic) contain columns of parallel mol­ecules, which are linked by edge‐over‐edge C—H⋯π overlap. The columns are linked to one another by C—H⋯π inter­actions and, in the case of (Ib), C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. Crystals of (II) contain layers of monocations linked by π–π inter­actions and separated by both perchlorate anions and the protruding eth­yl groups; the cations and anions are linked by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds.