Bis{bis[1-methoxy-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-ethane-κ3O,O0,O00]sodium} 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane-1,2-diide

Crystals of the title salt, [Na(C₆H₁₄O ₃)₂]₂(C₂₆H₂₀), were grown from a tetrahydrofuran/diglyme/Et2O solvent mixture [diglyme is 1-methoxy-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethane]. The cations and dianion are separated in the crystal structure, unlike in the other three structurally characterized dialkali metal tetraphenylethylene salts. The asymmetric unit contains one [Na(diglyme)2]+ cation and one half of the [Ph2CCPh2]2-dianion. The latter lies on a twofold rotation axis. C-C bondlength redistribution displays that excessive electron density of the dianion is predominantly located at the C atoms of a former double bond and at all eight ortho positions. The studied crystal was a twin, with the ratio of two major components being 0.2143 (9):0.7857 (9). The twin operation is a twofold rotation around the a axis.