Structure–Property Relationships in Zwitterionic Pyridinium–Triazole Ligands: Insights from Crystal Engineering and Hirshfeld Surface Analysis

TL;DR

This paper explores how the structure of zwitterionic ligands affects their properties, using crystal engineering and surface analysis to guide material design.

Contribution

The study introduces new zwitterionic ligands and reveals how their structural variations influence supramolecular arrangements and proton conductivity.

Findings

Positional isomerism and methylene spacers significantly affect supramolecular packing and hydrogen bonding.

Hirshfeld surface analysis confirms O···H/H···O and N···H/H···N interactions dominate crystal structures.

Electronic variability among ligands is linked to structural flexibility and isomerism.

Abstract

This article discloses the synthesis of four new positional isomeric zwitterionic ligands exhibiting semi-flexible and flexible characteristics—n-pyridinium-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxy-5-Acetate (n-PTCA), and n-methylpyridinium-1,2,3-triazole-4-carboxy-5-Acetate (n-MPTCA; where n = 3, 4)—which were derived from an aqueous solution of the corresponding sodium salts in an acidic medium (HCl). These compounds are successfully synthesized and characterized with FT-IR and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy; likewise, proper single crystals are obtained for each compound. All compounds adopt zwitterionic forms in the solid state, which are stabilized via intermolecular proton transfer processes involving HCl and solvent molecules. A single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed how positional isomerism and molecular flexibility influence the supramolecular topology. Specifically, 3-PTCA and 4-PTCA exhibit isomorphic hydrogen bond networks, while 3-MPTCA and 4-MPTCA display distinct packing motifs, attributed to the presence of a methylene spacer between the pyridinium and triazole rings. The Hirshfeld surface analysis quantitatively confirmed the dominance of O···H/H···O and N···H/H···N interactions in the solid-state architecture. These strong hydrogen-bonding networks are indicative of the potential proton-conductive behavior in the crystalline state, positioning these compounds as promising candidates for applications in proton-conducting materials. The structural insights gained underscore the pivotal role of molecular topology in tailoring crystal packing, with implications for the rational design of zwitterionic ligands in functional materials, including MOFs and coordination polymers. The calculated HOMO-LUMO energy gaps reveal a significant electronic variability among the ligands, influenced primarily by the positional isomerism and structural flexibility introduced by the methylene spacer.

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