Hydrogen bond studies: 67. The crystal structure of rubidium trihydrogen selenite,RbH3(SeO3)2

The crystal structure of RbH₃(SeO₃)₂ has been determined from three-dimensional single crystal X-ray diffractometer data obtained at room temperature. Four formula units crystallize in an orthorhombic unit cell of dimensions: a = 5.9192(2), b = 17.9506(5), and c = 6.2519(3) Å. The space group is P2₁2₁2₁. The structure consists of two types of chains at a right angle. One chain is built up of H₂SeO₃ molecules linked by 2.594(8)-Å hydrogen bonds and the other of HSeO₃^? ions linked by 2.571(12)-Å hydrogen bonds. These two types of chains are cross-linked by a third hydrogen bond of length 2.521(7) Å. The rubidium ion is surrounded by eight oxygen atoms forming a distorted cube. The Rb⁺O distances are in the range 2.94–3.19 Å.