The Raman spectra of the single crystal of K2Zn(SO4)2·6H2O belonging toC2h5 space group in the 40–1200 cm−1 region in different scattering geometries and their spectra ofthe microcrystalline salt in the 1500-50 cm−1 region have been reported. The dynamics of the crystal has been described in terms of 186 phonon modes under the unit cell approximation. The weak bands in the region 400–900 cm−1 have been assigned to the libratory modes of H2O molecules in contradiction to the assignments reported by Ananthanarayanan. The ambiguities existing in the literature about the assignments ofν2c andν5c modes of [Zn(H2O)6]2+ have also been removed. The translatory and libratory modes of different units of the crystal have been identified and assignments are made using farir and Raman data on various isomorphous tutton salts.
It has been inferred that both SO42− tetrahedron and [Zn(H2O)6]2+ octahedron undergo linear as well as angular distortions from their free state symmetries in the crystal.
