Sarcosine–methanesulfonic acid (2:1) crystal: X-ray structure, vibrational properties and nature of hydrogen bonds

The crystal structure of sarcosine–methanesulfonic acid (2:1) complex has been investigated by X-ray diffraction at 293 K. It crystallizes in monoclinic system, C2/c space group. The crystal consists of (sarcosinium–sarcosine) dimers with strong and asymmetric O–H⋯O hydrogen bond, methanesulfonic anions and several weaker N–H⋯O bonds between these structural units. Vibrational properties of the crystal are related to its structure. The possibility of the OHO proton transfer in this hydrogen bond network was predicted by our previous calculations for (acetate–acid) dimers treated as model of (amino acid–acid) hydrogen bonded units of crystalline systems.