The barium perfluoroalkanedisulfonates Ba(O3S)(2)(CF2)(n) (n = 1, 3-5) and the new potassium fluoroalkanedisulfonates K-2(O3S)(2)CHF, K-2(O3S)(2)CF2, and K-2(O3S)(2)(CF2)(5) have been prepared by reaction of (CF2)(n)(SO2F)(2) (n = 1, 3-5) or CHF(SO2F)(2) with CaO (or Ca(OH)(2)) and M(OH)(x) (M = Ba, x = 2; M = K, x = 1) or with Ba(OH)2 alone (n = 1) in water. In each of the crystal structures of K-2(O3S)(2)CHF and K-2(O3S)(2)CF2, there is an eight-coordinate and a six-coordinate potassium ion, whilst in K-2(O3S)(2)(CF2)(3)H2O, two different eight-coordinate potassium ions are linked by a bridging water molecule. One potassium has additionally six sulfonate oxygen and one fluorine donor atoms. and the other, five sulfonate oxygens and two fluorine donor atoms. The preparation of highly crystalline [Nien(3)][(O3S)(CF2)(n)] (en = ethane-1,2-diamine; n = 1, 3-5) and the X-ray crystal structures for n = 1 or 3 provide evidence for the value of perfluoroalkanedisulfonate ions as counter ions for the crystallization of cationic complexes.