Crystal and molecular structure of rubidium peroxodicarbonate Rb2[C2O6]

We report the crystal structure of rubidium peroxodicarbonate, which was synthesized by electrocrystallization at T=257 K, from laboratory X-ray powder diffraction data. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with four formula units per unit cell and cell parameters of a=7.9129(1), b=10.5117(1), c=7.5559(1) A, beta=102.001(1) degrees, and V=614.75(1) A(3). The packing can be considered as a strongly distorted CsCl type of structure. The conformation of the peroxodicarbonate anion was found to be planar (C(2h) symmetry), in contrast to the staggered conformation of the peroxodicarbonate anion in the respective potassium peroxodicarbonate. The different conformation is attributed to packing effects.