Tetrakis(chloromethyl)phosphonium chloride monohydrate

Tetrakis(chloromethyl)phosphonium chloride monohydrate, C(4)H(8)Cl(4)P(+) x Cl(-) x H(2)O or P(CH(2)Cl)(4)(+) x Cl(-) x H(2)O, is the first crystal structure determination of a tetrakis(halogenomethyl)phosphonium compound to date. The only comparable structures known so far are of phosphonium ions containing just one halogenomethyl group. The solvent water molecule interacts with the Cl(-) anion via hydrogen bonds, with O...Cl distances of 3.230 (2) and 3.309 (2) A. The structure also contains several C-H...Cl(-) and C-H...O contacts, though with longer D...A distances [D.A 3.286 (3)-3.662 (2) A] or bent D-H...A angles. For these reasons, the C-H...Cl(-) and C-H...O interactions should not be considered as strong hydrogen bonds.