Five organic salts assembled from carboxylic acids and bis-imidazole derivatives through collective noncovalent interactions

Five multicomponent crystals of bis(imidazole) derivatives have been prepared with 5-nitrosalicylic acid, 5-sulfosalicylic acid, and phthalic acid. The five crystalline forms reported are organic salts of which the crystal structures have all been determined by X-ray diffraction. The results presented herein indicate that the strength and directionality of the NH⋯O, OH⋯O, and NH⋯N hydrogen bonds (ionic or neutral) between carboxylic acids and ditopic imidazoles are sufficient to bring about the formation of binary organic salts.All supramolecular architectures of the organic salts 1–5 involve extensive OH⋯O, and NH⋯O hydrogen bonds as well as other noncovalent interactions. The role of weak and strong noncovalent interactions in the crystal packing is ascertained. These noncovalent interactions combined, all the complexes displayed 3D framework structure.

► Five organic salts with different topologies have been prepared and structurally characterized.
► The noncovalent interactions between bis(imidazole) and carboxylic acids have been ascertained.
► The NH⋯O contact is the primary intermolecular force in the salts containing the COOH⋯ im synthons.