1,1′-(Diselanediylbis{[P,P-diphenyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)phosphorimidoyl]methanylylidene})bis[1,1-diphenyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-λ5-phosphanamine] pentane disolvate

The title compound, C62H78N4P4Se2Si4·2C5H12, is made up of two [SeC(PPh2NSiMe3)(PPh2NHSiMe3)] units related by an inversion center situated at the mid-point of the diselenide bond. It crystallized with two disordered molecules of pentane used as solvent of crystallization. It is a rare example of an antiperiplanar diselenide and exhibits a long Se—Se bond of 2.4717 (8) Å. The Se—C bond length of 1.876 (5) Å is short in comparison with the range of values found for other diselenides (1.91–1.97 Å). The molecule exhibits two intramolecular N—H...N hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, there are no significant intermolecular interactions present. One of the Me3Si– groups is disordered over two positions with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.708 (8):0.292 (8). The contribution of the disordered solvent to the scattering was removed with the SQUEEZE option of PLATON [Spek (2009). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155]. The solvent contribution has been included in the reported molecular weight and density.