[Amino(iminio)methyl]phosphonate

Abstract

The title compound, CH5N2O3P, exists as a zwitterion. The N atom of the imino group is protonated and the phosphonic acid group is deprotonated. The molecular geometry about the central C atom of this zwitterionic species was found to be strictly planar with the sum of the three angles about C being precisely 360°. In the crystal, the molecules are interlinked by O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions, forming a three-dimensional supramolecular network structure.