Vibrational study of hydrogen bonding and structural disorder in Na2H(SO4)2, K3H(SO4)2 and (NH4)3H(SO4)2 crystals

Infrared and Raman spectra on Na₃H(SO₄)₂, K₃ H(SO₄)₂ and (NH₄)₃ H(SO₄)₂ crystals have been investigated at 300 and 100 K in the 4000 to 30 cm^?1 region. An assignment of bands in terms of OH group frequencies and more or less distorted tetrahedra of ammonium and sulphate ions is given. The crystallographic and spectroscopic symmetry and/or dissymetry of OHO hydrogen bonds linking sulphate ions into dimers is discussed using OH group frequencies and the splitting of the v₁ (SO₄) Raman bands as criteria. In the particular case of (NH₄)₃H(SO₄)₁ compound containing several solid phases it can be shown that the room temperature phase (II) is strongly disordered, principally because of an orientational disorder of ammonium ions, and that a progressive ordering takes place with temperature lowering.