A comprehensive molecular description of sertraline hydrochloride: From solid state to electronic structure

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) widely used as an antidepressant. The presence of HCl in forming sertraline hydrochloride affects its physicochemical properties. This article aimed to understand the molecular and electronic structures of sertraline hydrochloride. For this, theoretical calculations were carried out at the DFT/M06-2X/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The molecular topology was studied. In the case of the C10–H⋯Cl interaction, the Hirshfeld surface showed that the contacts between the H atom and the Cl anion equal the sum of the van der Waals radii. This structure is susceptible to electrophilic attacks according to the Fukui function. Frontier molecular orbital (HOMO and LUMO) showed that the presence of HCl increased the acidic character of the sertraline. Topological analysis of SERTH showed that NH⋯Cl hydrogen bond type interactions are predominant and contribute to the stability of the crystal.