The deprotonated forms of 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid H
4bta can act not only as hydrogen-bond acceptors but also as hydrogen-bond donors, depending on the deprotonated carboxyl groups given differentsupramolecular adducts. A search of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) of cocrystal structures of H
4btawith L = 4,4'-bpy or bpe has found three different adducts: [HL]
2[H
2bta], [H
2L][H
2bta], and [H
2L][H
3bta], wherecocrystal structures of [HL]
2[H
2bta] with L = 4,4'-bpy or bpe form similar supramolecular arrangements. Toinvestigate this similarity, two new organic salts of the formula {[H
2-4,4'-bpy][H
2bta]}·2H
2O (
1) and {[H
2bpe][H
3bta]
2}·4H
2O (
2) have been characterized. In the 1:1 adduct
1, the molecular components are linked by hydrogenbonds of the N-H···O type creating chains. These chains are further linked by C-H···O type interactions (C-Hfrom the cation and O from the anion) creating a two-dimensional motif. Two types of centrosymmetric rings areevident in the sheets. The stacked sheets are held together via
![](/images/gifchars/pi.gif)
···
![](/images/gifchars/pi.gif)
interactions to create a three-dimensionalnetwork. Two types of channels, one hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic, run parallel to the
a-axis. Water moleculesare hydrogen bonded in the hydrophilic channels. The supramolecular structure in the 2:1 adduct
2 is due to hydrogenbonds of the O-H···O and N-H···O types that afford a railroad network along the
a-axis. Two water molecules areheld in the railroad cavities by hydrogen bonds with carboxylate oxygen atoms. Adjacent railroad chains are linkedthrough hydrogen bonds involving water molecules, building a two-dimensional structure.