The zinc complexes of diphenylarsinate [(Ph 2 AsO 2 )ZnCl] (1), [(Ph 2 AsO 2 )Zn(Ph 2 As(O)OH)Cl] (2) and [(Ph 2 AsO 2 ) 2 Zn] (3) were prepared through the reaction of ZnCl 2 with dihydroxodiphenylarsonium chloride [Ph 2 As(OH) 2 ]Cl. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that all three compounds form 1D polymer chain arrangements. Specifically, the [Ph 2 AsO 2 ] À ligand coordinates with three Zn centres giving a syn,syn,anti μ 3 -η 1 : η 2 mode in compound 1. A more diverse binding mode arised in compound 2: [Ph 2 AsO 2 ] À shows a syn,anti μ 2 -η 1 : η 1 bridging mode; while free ligand Ph 2 As(O)OH is bound to Zn through the oxygen atom of the As=O unit (monodentate). In addition, the hydrogen atom of Ph 2 As(O)OH forms a moderate hydrogen bond with the oxygen atom of [Ph 2 AsO 2 ] À . Even though all [Ph 2 AsO 2 ] À ligands also coordinate in a bridging mode in compound 3, a chain-like arrangement with alternate single (anti,anti μ 2 -η 1 : η 1 ) and triple (syn,syn μ 2 -η 1 : η 1 ) bridging diphenylarsinate groups between tetrahedrally coordinated Zn atoms was identified.