Crystal structure of [1,1′:3′,1′′-ter­phenyl]-2′,3,3′′-tri­carb­oxy­lic acid

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(21)H(14)O(6), com­prises two symmetrically independent mol­ecules that form a locally centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimer, with the planes of the corresponding carb­oxy­lic acid groups rotated by 15.8 (1) and 17.5 (1)° relative to those of the adjacent benzene rings. The crystal as a whole, however, exhibits a noncentrosymmetric packing, described by the polar space group Pca2(1). The dimers form layers along the ab plane, being inter­connected by hydrogen bonds involving the remaining carb­oxy­lic acid groups. The plane of the central carb­oxy­lic acid group forms dihedral angles of 62.5 (1) and 63.0 (1)° with those of the adjacent benzene rings and functions as a hydrogen-bond donor and acceptor. As a donor, it inter­connects adjacent layers, while as an acceptor it stabilizes the packing within the layers. The ‘distal’ carb­oxy­lic acid groups are nearly coplanar with the planes of the adjacent benzene rings, forming dihedral angles of 1.8 (1) and 7.1 (1)°. These groups also form intra- and inter-layer hydrogen bonds, but with ‘reversed’ functionality, as compared with the central carb­oxy­lic acid groups.