One water to bind a chloride-chloride ion pair: isolation of discrete [Cl2(H2O)]2- in the solid state.

A discrete dichloride ion pair in the form of a monohydrate, [Cl2(H2O)]2-, was isolated using the triaminocyclopropenium cation [C3(NHex2)(N(CH2CF3)2)2]+. Although this ion pair is calculated to be unstable in the gas phase, the ionic lattice and weak CH-Cl hydrogen bonds assist the stabilization of the cluster. The D2O and HDO isotopomers were also prepared and characterized.