REINVESTIGATION OF CRYSTALLINE SULFURIC-ACID AND OXONIUM HYDROGENSULFATE

The crystal structures of H2SO4 and (H3O)(HSO4) have been refined with good accuracy (R = 0.021 and 0.033, respectively) making a discussion of hydrogen bonding now possible. In sulfuric acid, the S-O and S-OH distances are 1.426 (1) and 1.537 (1) Angstrom, respectively, and the structure is characterized by layers of hydrogen-connected SO4 tetrahe dra forming 4(4) nets. In oxonium hydrogensulfate, the HSO4- tetrahedr a form infinite hydrogen-bonded chains which are linked by H3O+ ions t o form double layers.