The infrared spectrum and force field of the methyl-ammonium ion in (CH3NH3)2PtCl6

Infrared spectra of the CH₃NH₃⁺, CH₃ND₃⁺, CD₃NH₃⁺ and CD₃ND₃⁺ ions in bis(methylammonium)hexachloroplatinate(IV) have been recorded. The spectra are entirely consistent with the C_3v symmetry reported for the methylammonium ion, at temperatures between room temperature and 90 K. No spectral manifestations of the phase transition, which in (CH₃NH₃)₂PtCl₆ has been reported to take place at 125 K, were observed. Assignments of the infrared-active fundamentals have been made for each ion and a normal-coordinate analysis has been performed using the observed fundamental frequencies. Comparison with the infrared spectra of other methylammonium salts shows that hydrogen bonding in (CH₃NH₃)₂PtCl₆, if present, is weak.