Abstract The mechanism of dissociation of amino-substituted gem-diphosphonic acids R 2 N (CH 2) n CR'(PO 3 H 2) 2 with different lengths of the alkylidene chain and different substituents at the N atom was studied by vibrational (IR, Raman) and NMR (1 H, 14 N, 31 P) spectroscopy using data of conformational analysis (molecular mechanical) data. The important role of intramolecular H-bonds and cyclic solvates for the stabilization of various ...