A classical example of a disappearing polymorph and the shortest intermolecular H•••H separation ever found in an organic crystal structure

Missing in action: Neutron and X-ray diffraction studies at low temperatures reveal the delicate balances of attractive and repulsive intermolecular interactions in the dimorphs of 1,2,3,5-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-ribofuranose (the less stable polymorph is shown, O red, H blue, C gray). Very short intermolecular H⋯H contacts which are only present in the less stable crystal form are responsible for the disappearance of this polymorph.