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, C₁₂H₁₄N₂²⁺·2C₇H₅O₆S⁻·2H₂O, have been obtained and crystallographically characterized. Polymorph (I) crystallizes in the space group P2₁/c with Z′ = 2 and polymorph (II) in the space group P 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.