Vibrational spectroscopic study of (R−PO3)2−

ir and Raman data for sodium methylphosphonate, CH3-PO3Na2, and the CD3−analog were obtained. These data have been interpreted to show that CH3-PO32− in aqueous solution has C3v symmetry, and in the solid phase perhaps has [itC3v site symmetry. Comparison of the ir solid-phase data for CH3-PO3Na2 with the Ir solid-phase data for CH3-PO3K2 suggests that a band at low frequency results from a crystalline lattice vibration. Suggested correlations of ir bands for the general ion (R-PO3)2− are also given.