Crystal structure of methylenebis(phosphonic dichloride)

Abstract

Crystals of the title compound are monoclinic, space group C2/c, with a= 15·866(5), b= 5·845(1), c= 9·161 (3)Å, β= 106·59(2)°, Z= 4. The molecules, which display a crystallographically imposed C₂ symmetry, are linked together through two C–H ⋯ O(P) hydrogen bonds, of length 3·23(1)Å, into infinite chains in the z direction. Rigid-body analysis reveals that pronounced rotational and translational motions are associated with the axis of minimum inertia and least cross-section. Bond lengths (corrected for libration) are: P–Cl 1·994(2) and 1·997 (2), PO 1·463(4), P–C 1·804(4)Å; angle P–C–P 116·4(4)°, the structure was solved by direct methods and refined by full-matrix least-squares to R 0·041 for 641 diffractometer-measured unique reflections.