The Crystal Structure of Methylammonium Chloride

Abstract

Values of the carbon-nitrogen single-bond distance in various compounds are of special interest because of the occurrence of this bond in amino acids, proteins and related substances. Numerous electron diffraction studies of gas molecules have yielded values of about 1.47 Å, which are consistent with the usual table of covalent radii. On the other hand, distances ranging from 1.39 to 1.49 Å. have recently been reported in X-ray crystal structure investigations of compounds containing tetracovalent nitrogen. Because of these many different values it was thought desirable to investigate the carbon-nitrogen distance in a simple crystal in which a minimum number of parameters needed determination; methylammonium chloride appeared to be such a crystal.