Hydrogen bonding. Part 75. Infrared, titrametric and molecular orbital study of the structure, solubility and reaction with fluoride ion of 2,3-dicarboxypyrazine

2,3-Dicarboxypyrazine (2,3-H₂DCPz), unlike 2,3-dicarboxypyridine (2,3-H₂DCPy), does not exist as a zwitterion in the solid state. This is due to the remarkably low base strength of nitrogen in the pyrazine ring relative to that of pyridine. The decrease in the base strength of pyrazine relative to pyridine may result from greater disruption of the aromatic π-system of pyrazine on protonation than is the case with pyridine. We propose that 2,3-H₂DCPz has a structure of C_s symmetry in the solid state in which one carboxyl group forms an internal hydrogen bond to carbonyl of adjacent carboxyl in the same molecule, and the second carboxyl forms an intermolecular hydrogen bond to carbonyl in an adjacent molecule. The monoanion in 2,3-NaHDCPz has a strong O–H–O covalent three-center hydrogen bond between carboxylate groups. When saturated solutions of 2,3-H₂DCPz are treated with F⁻, one additional diacid molecule is taken into solution for each 1.5 F⁻ added. As is the case with 2,3-H₂DCPy, the high solubility and acid strength of 2,3-H₂DCPz (pK_a=2.87) leads to formation of the hydrogen-rich H₂F₃⁻ ion instead of HF₂⁻.