Protonation products of pentaaminopentane as novel building blocks for hydrogen‐bonded networks

The structures of 3‐amino‐1,2R,4S,5‐tetra­ammoniopentane tetrachloride monohydrate, C₅H₂₁N₅⁴⁺·4Cl^?·H₂O, and 1,2R,3,4S,5‐penta­ammoniopentane tetra­chloro­zincate tri­chlor­ide monohydrate, (C₅H₂₂N₅)ZnCl₄]Cl₃·H₂O, have been determined from single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction data. Both compounds show a complex network of N—H?O, O—H?Cl and N—H?Cl hydrogen bonds. There are a total of 14 H atoms of the tetra‐cation and 15 H atoms of the penta‐cation available for hydrogen bonding. However, due to the particular shape of the primary linear poly­ammonium cations, only a certain number of H atoms can be involved in hydrogen‐bond formation. It is further shown that hydrogen bonding has an influence on the conformation of such alkyl­ammonium cations.