Molecular Structures of Triethylamine Complexes with Benzoic and Pivalic Acids

Dissolution of benzoic or pivalic acid in excess triethylamine followed by crystallization was found to yield single crystals of 1: 1 and 1: 2 complexes, respectively. X-ray crystallography have shown that the complex with benzoic acid is an (Et3NH)+(OOCPh)− ion pair, in which the proton is transfered from the acid to the base (N⋯O 2.629(2) A), and the complex with pivalic acid contains, in addition to the ion pair (N⋯O 2.649 A), the homoconjugate anion (ButCOO)(H)(OOCBut)− (O⋯O 2.521 A).