Polymorphism in Isomeric Dihydroxybenzoic Acids

Abstract

Multifunctional molecules are capable of assembling via different supramolecular synthons, or hydrogen bond motifs, between the same or different functional groups, leading to the possibility of polymorphism. We have employed sublimation and melt crystallization to generate two new crystalline polymorphs of 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA), and a second form for 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid each. Since hydroxybenzoic acids tend to give solvate/hydrate crystal structures by solution crystallization, solvent-free methods are necessary to obtain single crystals of unsolvated forms. In addition to guest-free polymorphs, a new hydrate polymorph of 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid was crystallized from cold water. Polymorphs of dihydroxybenzoic acids differ in the number of symmetry-independent molecules (Z′), the nature of the hydrogen bond synthon, the molecular packing, and the unit cell parameters. Structural and thermal characterization of polymorphic phases shows that the commercial ma...