Interaction in molecular crystals, 161. The crystal structures of phenylene-1,4-bis(4-nitrophenylsulfonamide) and of its disodium(tetramethanol-dihydrate) salt

Lipophilically wrapped polyion-aggregates of alkali salts are fascinating e xamples of self-organisation, which stimulate the design of novel ligands. Phenylene-l,4-bis(4-nitrophenylsulfonamide), selected and structurally char acterized, can be deprotonated by [NaH](infinity) in THF to its dianion. Re crystallisation from methanol solution however, does not yield the polyion aggregate expected, but a disodium(tetramethanol-dihydrate) salt, for which a structure determination proves an intriguing three-dimensional network o f Na+...O contacts to sulfonamide as well as nitro substituents and the sma ll solvent molecules methanol as well as water. Ligand comparison between p olyioncluster-forming tetraphenylimidodiphosphate and the title phenylene-l ,4-bis(4-nitrophenylsulfonamide) allows to specify the ligand properties ne cessary for the self-aggregation of alkali salts.