A solvent-mediated conformational switch in sulfanilamide†
Abstract
Sulfanilamide, a widely used antibacterial drug, has been brought into the gas phase using laser ablation techniques, and its structure has been characterized in the isolated conditions of a supersonic expansion using Fourier transform microwave techniques. A single conformer stabilized by an N–H⋯O![[double bond, length as m-dash]](https://www.rsc.org/images/entities/char_e001.gif)
S intramolecular interaction in an equatorial disposition has been unequivocally characterized. To emulate the microsolvation process, we studied its hydrated cluster. The results show that a single water molecule alters the conformational preference and forces sulfanilamide to switch from its initial eclipsed configuration to a staggered disposition. The observed hydrated cluster adopts a structure in which water forms three hydrogen bonds with sulfanilamide stabilizing the molecule.
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