(Ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[bis(3-methoxypropyl)methylphosphonium] bis(tetraphenylborate) diethyl ether solvate

Abstract

In the course of substitution studies on the iron dihydrogen complex trans-[Fe(DMeOPrPE)2(H2)H](BPh4) {DMeOPrPE = 1,2-bis­[bis­(methoxy­prop­yl)phosphino]ethane}, we discovered an unexpected transformation of the diphosphine ligand to a diphospho­nium dication without the use of any typical methyl­ating reagent. The P atoms in the dication of the title compound, C20H46O4P2 2+·2C24H20B−·C4H10O, have a distorted tetra­hedral coordination with P—C(Me) distances of 1.791 (2) and 1.785 (2) Å. The P—C—C—P torsion angle about the central dimethyl­ene bridge is −168.3 (1)°.