Synthesis, crystal structure and spectroscopic study of lead monochloroacetate, Pb(ClCH<sub>2</sub>COO)<sub>2</sub>

Crystals of lead monochloroacetate, Pb(ClCH2COO)2, were obtained in the reaction of lead carbonate and aqueous chloroacetic acid. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic symmetry (space group P21/c) with the unit cell parameters: a = 10.8346(6), b = 7.7239(4), c = 10.1484(5) Å, β = 106.542(5)°. Like other medium- and long-chain lead carboxylates, the crystal structure of lead monochloroacetate is layered. Lead atoms are located in distorted seven-vertex PbO7-polyhedra which share edges and form layers. Features of the crystal structures of lead salts of carboxylic acids with unbranched hydrocarbon radicals are discussed. In particular, salts of lead(II) n-alkyl carboxylates with the general formula Pb(CnH2n+1COO)2, despite belonging to different symmetry and space groups (monoclinic P21/m for n = 2 and 3, triclinic P for n = 4–9, and monoclinic P21/c for Pb(ClCH2COO)2), are characterized by the same arrangement of molecules, so they can be considered structurally related.