An electron diffraction study of the structure of 1,1,2-trichloroethane in the gas phase

The molecular structure of 1,1,2-trichloroethane has been determined by gas phase electron diffraction. The molecule is asymmetric. The geometrical parameters (r_a structure) are: r(C-Cl) 1.776 Å; r(C-H) 0.98 Å; ∠(C-C-Cl) 107°; ∠(Cl-C-Cl) projected along the C-C bond 116°; dihedral angle (Cl-C-C-Cl) 75°. The parameters ∠(C-C-H) 102° and the projected (H-C-H) angle 136° are inaccurate. The structure is rather insensitive to the r(C-C) value, which is unusually long, 1.56 to 1.58 Å.