Interwoven hydrogen-bonded network assembly and supramolecular isomerism of meso-5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin as its dimethylformamide solvate

Molecules of the title compound, porphyrin-5(4),10(4),15(4),20(4)-tetrabenzoic acid, C48H30N4O8, lie on sites of 2/m symmetry in the space group Cmca. The crystals consist of doubly interwoven two-dimensional supramolecular arrays sustained by multiple (COOH)(2) cyclic dimeric hydrogen bonds, each molecule of the porphyrintetrabenzoic acid coordinating to four neighbouring species. This structure, which encloses substantial spaces occupied by disordered dimethylformamide solvent molecules, represents yet another supramolecular isomer of this porphyrin.