Both the 3-amino-2H,4H-1,2,4-triazolium cation and the pyrazine-2-carboxyl-ate anion in the title salt, C2H5N4 (+)·C5H3N2O2 (-), were formed by an unexpected deca-rboxylation reaction, from 5-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carb-oxy-lic acid and pyrazine-2,3-di-carb-oxy-lic acid, respectively. The dihedral angle between the pyrazine ring (r.m.s. deviation = 0.008 Å) and the carboxyl-ate group in the anion is 3.7 (3)°. The extended structure of the salt contains a supra-molecular zigzag tape in which cations and anions are engaged in strong and highly directional N-H⋯N,O hydrogen bonds, forming R 2 (2)(8) and R 2 (2)(9) graph-set motifs. The packing between the tapes is mediated by π-π stacking inter-actions between the triazole and pyrazine rings.
Keywords: crystal structure; decarboxylation; hydrogen bonding; ionothermal synthesis; triazolium salt; π–π stacking interactions.