Charge density of the biologically active molecule (2-oxo-1,3-benzoxazol-3(2H)-yl)acetic acid

2-Amino-benzoxazole-oxalic acid (2/1)

In the title compound, 2C7H7N2O+·C2O4 2-, proton transfer from oxalic acid to the N atom of the heterocycle has occurred to form a 2:1 molecular salt. In the extended structure, N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the components into [100] chains, which feature R 2 2(8) and R 4 4(14) loops.

Conformational dimorphism in o-nitrobenzoic acid: alternative ways to avoid the O...O clash

Polymorphism is a challenging phenomenon and the competitive packing alternatives which are characteristic for polymorphs may be encountered for essentially rigid molecules. A second crystal form of the well known compound o-nitrobenzoic acid, C7H5NO4, an important intermediate in the production of dyes, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, is described. Although obtained serendipitously, its intra- and intermolecular features match expectations from database searches and theoretical calculations. O-H...O hydrogen-bonded carboxylic acid dimers represent the building blocks in both polymorphs. For steric reasons and in agreement with a calculated potential energy surface, the carboxylic acid and nitro groups cannot simultaneously be coplanar with the benzene ring but have to tilt. In the well established crystal form, this out-of-plane torsion is more pronounced for the nitro substituent. In contrast, the new polymorph is characterized by a major tilt of the carboxylic acid group. The molecules in both alternative crystal forms achieve a similar compromise with respect to acceptable intramolecular O...O contacts.