Electrochemical synthesis and structural characterization of the trinuclear copper(I)–copper(II) complex: bis[bis(triphenylphosphine)copper(I)] [bis(thiosalicylate)copper(II)]

A novel, symmetrical trinuclear copper(I)–copper(II) com-plex, bis[bis(triphenylphosphine)copper(I)][bis(thiosalicylate)copper(II)], [{Cu(PPh3)2}2{Cu(C7H4O2S)2}], has been prepared by anodic dissolution of copper into a solution of triphenylphosphine and thiosalicylic acid in acetonitrile and characterized by single crystal X-ray structure determination as its acetonitrile solvate; characterized also is the 1:3 copper(I) complex, [tris(triphenylphosphine)(thiosalicylic acid-S)copper(I)], formed as an intermediate in the electrosynthesis.