Supramolecular hydrogen‐bonding patterns in salts of the antifolate drugs trimethoprim and pyrimethamine

Nine salts of the antifolate drugs trimethoprim and pyrimethamine, namely, trimethoprimium or 2,4‐diamino‐5‐(3,4,5‐trimethoxybenzyl)pyrimidin‐1‐ium] 2,5‐dichlorothiophene‐3‐carboxylate monohydrate (TMPDCTPC, 1:1), C₁₄H₁₉N₄O₃⁺·C₅HCl₂O₂S^?, ( I ), trimethoprimium 3‐bromothiophene‐2‐carboxylate monohydrate, (TMPBTPC, 1:1:1), C₁₄H₁₉N₄O₃⁺·C₅H₂BrO₂S^?·H₂O, ( II ), trimethoprimium 3‐chlorothiophene‐2‐carboxylate monohydrate (TMPCTPC, 1:1:1), C₁₄H₁₉N₄O₃⁺·C₅H₂ClO₂S^?·H₂O, ( III ), trimethoprimium 5‐methylthiophene‐2‐carboxylate monohydrate (TMPMTPC, 1:1:1), C₁₄H₁₉N₄O₃⁺·C₆H₅O₂S^?·H₂O, ( IV ), trimethoprimium anthracene‐9‐carboxylate sesquihydrate (TMPAC, 2:2:3), C₁₄H₁₉N₄O₃⁺·C₁₅H₉O₂^?·1.5H₂O, ( V ), pyrimethaminium or 2,4‐diamino‐5‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐6‐ethylpyrimidin‐1‐ium] 2,5‐dichlorothiophene‐3‐carboxylate (PMNDCTPC, 1:1), C₁₂H₁₄ClN₄⁺·C₅HCl₂O₂S^?, ( VI ), pyrimethaminium 5‐bromothiophene‐2‐carboxylate (PMNBTPC, 1:1), C₁₂H₁₄ClN₄⁺·C₅H₂BrO₂S^?, ( VII ), pyrimethaminium anthracene‐9‐carboxylate ethanol monosolvate monohydrate (PMNAC, 1:1:1:1), C₁₂H₁₄ClN₄⁺·C₁₅H₉O₂^?·C₂H₅OH·H₂O, ( VIII ), and bis(pyrimethaminium) naphthalene‐1,5‐disulfonate (PMNNSA, 2:1), 2C₁₂H₁₄ClN₄⁺·C₁₀H₆O₆S₂^2?, ( IX ), have been prepared and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. In all the crystal structures, the pyrimidine N1 atom is protonated. In salts ( I )–( III ) and ( VI )–( IX ), the 2‐aminopyrimidinium cation interacts with the corresponding anion via a pair of N—H…O hydrogen bonds, generating the robust R₂²(8) supramolecular heterosynthon. In salt ( IV ), instead of forming the R₂²(8) heterosynthon, the carboxylate group bridges two pyrimidinium cations via N—H…O hydrogen bonds. In salt ( V ), one of the carboxylate O atoms bridges the N1—H group and a 2‐amino H atom of the pyrimidinium cation to form a smaller R₂¹(6) ring instead of the R₂²(8) ring. In salt ( IX ), the sulfonate O atoms mimic the role of carboxylate O atoms in forming an R₂²(8) ring motif. In salts ( II )–( IX ), the pyrimidinium cation forms base pairs via a pair of N—H…N hydrogen bonds, generating a ring motif R₂²(8) homosynthon]. Compounds ( II ) and ( III ) are isomorphous. The quadruple DDAA (D = hydrogen‐bond donor and A = hydrogen‐bond acceptor) array is observed in ( I ). In salts ( II )–( IV ) and ( VI )–( IX ), quadruple DADA arrays are present. In salts ( VI ) and ( VII ), both DADA and DDAA arrays co‐exist. The crystal structures are further stabilized by π–π stacking interactions in ( I ), ( V ) and ( VII )–( IX )], C—H…π interactions in ( IV )–( V ) and ( VII )–( IX )], C—Br…π interactions in ( II )] and C—Cl…π interactions in ( I ), ( III ) and ( VI )]. Cl…O and Cl…Cl halogen‐bond interactions are present in ( I ) and ( VI ), with distances and angles of 3.0020 (18) and 3.5159 (16) Å, and 165.56 (10) and 154.81 (11)°, respectively.