Recent studies suggested that X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) sensitively determines the protonation state of nitrogen functional groups in the solid state, providing a means for distinguishing between co-crystals and salts of organic compounds. Here we describe how a new theophylline complex with 5-sulfosalicylic acid dihydrate was established as a salt by XPS prior to assignment with conventional methods. The presence of a C=NH(+) (N9) N1s peak in XPS allows assignment as a salt, while this peak is clearly absent for a theophylline co-crystal. The large low frequency shift for N9 observed by (15)N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (ssNMR) and corresponding density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that protonation has occurred. The crystal structure and further analytical studies confirm the conclusions reached with XPS and ssNMR. This study demonstrates XPS as an alternative technique for determining whether proton transfer has occurred in acid-base complexes.

The properties of nitrogen centres acting either as hydrogen-bond or Brønsted acceptors in solid molecular acid-base complexes have been probed by N 1s X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as well as (15)N solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and are interpreted with reference to local crystallographic structure information provided by X-ray diffraction (XRD). We have previously shown that the strong chemical shift of the N 1s binding energy associated with the protonation of nitrogen centres unequivocally distinguishes protonated (salt) from hydrogen-bonded (co-crystal) nitrogen species. This result is further supported by significant ssNMR shifts to low frequency, which occur with proton transfer from the acid to the base component. Generally, only minor chemical shifts occur upon co-crystal formation, unless a strong hydrogen bond is formed. CASTEP density functional theory (DFT) calculations of (15)N ssNMR isotropic chemical shifts correlate well with the experimental data, confirming that computational predictions of H-bond strengths and associated ssNMR chemical shifts allow the identification of salt and co-crystal structures (NMR crystallography). The excellent agreement between the conclusions drawn by XPS and the combined CASTEP/ssNMR investigations opens up a reliable avenue for local structure characterization in molecular systems even in the absence of crystal structure information, for example for non-crystalline or amorphous matter. The range of 17 different systems investigated in this study demonstrates the generic nature of this approach, which will be applicable to many other molecular materials in organic, physical, and materials chemistry.

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Characterization at the molecular level establishes X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) as a useful technique for determining the extent of proton transfer in molecular crystals by studying theophylline-citric acid co-crystals alongside solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). A complex has been formed by milling theophylline with either anhydrous or monohydrate citric acid and established as a 1:1 co-crystal by a combination of both conventional and novel analytical methods. The absence of peaks from the starting materials in the X-ray diffraction powder pattern indicates that the product was formed quantitatively, with elemental analysis and XPS revealing a 1:1 stoichiometry. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated the complex was anhydrous, with differential scanning calorimetry showing a melting temperature different from that of the starting materials. The absence of a CNH+ N1s peak in XPS and the small magnitude of 15N ssNMR and ATR-FTIR shifts relative to anhydrous theophylline revealed that proton transfer, and hence salt formation, had not occurred. The combination of analytical techniques allows the complex to be assigned as a 1:1 co-crystal without the need for a single crystal structure.

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Ionic bond or hydrogen bridge? Brønsted proton transfer to nitrogen acceptors in organic crystals causes strong N1s core-level binding energy shifts. A study of 15 organic cocrystal and salt systems shows that standard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) can be used as a complementary method to X-ray crystallography for distinguishing proton transfer from H-bonding in organic condensed matter.

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