Two three-dimensional networks in two polymorphs of biphenyl-4,4'-diaminium bis(3-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate) dihydrate.

Two polymorphs of biphenyl-4,4'-diaminium bis(3-carboxy-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate) dihydrate, C(12)H(14)N(2)(2+)·2C(7)H(5)O(6)S(-)·2H(2)O, have been obtained and crystallographically characterized. Polymorph (I) crystallizes in the space group P2(1)/c with Z' = 2 and polymorph (II) in the space group P-1 with Z' = 0.5. The benzidinium cation in (II) is located on a crystallographic inversion centre. In both (I) and (II), the sulfonic acid H atoms are transferred to the benzidine N atoms, forming dihydrated 1:2 molecular adducts (base-acid). In the crystal packings of (I) and (II), the component ions are linked into three-dimensional networks by combinations of X-H...O (X = O, N and C) hydrogen bonds. In addition, π-π interactions are observed in (I) between inversion-related benzene rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.632 (2) and 3.627 (2) Å]. In order to simplify the complex three-dimensional networks in (I) and (II), we also give their rationalized topological analyses.