Synthesis and crystal structure of the dicopper(II) complex [Cu2{Ph2P(=O)(o-C6H4)CO2}2(THF)2(H2O)2][BF4]2 by oxidation of [Cu{Ph2P(O-C6H4)C(=O)H}2(NCMe)][BF4] with aqueous H2O2

Treatment of [Cu(pcho)(2)(NCMe)][BF4] 1 (pcho = 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde) with aqueous H2O2 in THF solvent affords [Cu-2(dpb)(2)(THF)(2)(H2O)(2)] [BF4](2) 2 (dpb = 2-(diphenylphosphinoxide)-benzoate) after crystallization from diethyl ether. This reaction involves oxidation of Cu(I) to Cu(II) ion, phosphine to phosphinoxide, and benzaldehyde to benzoate species. The crystal structure of 2 consists of two copper(II) atoms bridged by two carboxylate moieties of the dpb ligands. The coordination about each copper(II) atom is a distorted trigonal bipyramid.