Associations of squaric acid and its anions as multiform building blocks of hydrogen-bonded molecular crystals

Abstract

Squaric acid, H2C4O4 (H2SQ), is a completely flat diprotic acid that can crystallize as such, as well as in three different anionic forms, i.e. H2SQ·HSQ−, HSQ− and SQ2−. Its interest for crystal engineering studies arises from three notable factors: (i) its ability of donating and accepting hydrogen bonds strictly confined to the molecular plane; (ii) the remarkable strength of the O—H...O bonds it may form with itself which are either of resonance-assisted (RAHB) or negative-charge-assisted [(−)CAHB] types; (iii) the ease with which it may donate a proton to an aromatic base which, in turn, back-links to the anion by strong low-barrier N—H+...O1/2− charge-assisted hydrogen bonds. Analysis of all the structures so far known shows that, while H2SQ can only crystallize in an extended RAHB-linked planar arrangement and SQ2− tends to behave much as a monomeric dianion, the monoanion HSQ− displays a number of different supramolecular patterns that are classifiable as β-chains, α-chains, α-dimers and α-tetramers. Partial protonation of these motifs leads to H2SQ·HSQ− anions whose supramolecular patterns include ribbons of dimerized β-chains and chains of emiprotonated α-dimers. The topological similarities between the three-dimensional crystal chemistry of orthosilicic acid, H4SiO4, and the two-dimensional one of squaric acid, H2C4O4, are finally stressed.