[μ(2)-Bis(diphenyl­phosphanyl)methane][μ(3)-bis­(diphenyl­phosphanyl)meth­yl]trichlorido­tetra­gold(I) tetra­hydro­furan disolvate

The title tetra­nuclear complex, [Au(4)(C(25)H(21)P(2))Cl(3)(C(25)H(22)P(2))]·2C(4)H(8)O, features two non-equivalent Ph(2)PCPPh(2) fragments, one of which represents the ‘complete’ mol­ecule (with two H atoms at the central C atom); each of the two P atoms of this mol­ecule is coordinated by an Au atom [Au—P = 2.2256 (13) and 2.2710 (13) Å], and these two Au atoms form an Au—Au bond [3.2945 (3) Å], thus closing the five-membered Au(2)P(2)C ring. The first of these Au atoms has a terminal chlorido ligand [Au—Cl = 2.2806 (12) Å], whereas the second Au atom forms a covalent bond with the central C atom of the bis­(diphenyl­phosphino)methyl group [Au—C = 2.114 (5) Å]; the latter group in turn coordinates with its P atoms the gold atoms of the Cl–Au–Au–Cl group [Au—P = 2.2356 (13) and 2.2338 (13), Au—Au = 3.3177 (3), Au—Cl = 2.3091 (12) and 2.2950 (13) Å], thus closing the second Au(2)P(2)C ring. The two such rings have different chemical functions, but both exhibit envelope conformations. However, the first (with different substituents at the Au atoms) is non-symmetrical with one of the P atoms in the flap position of the envelope; the other one has a conformation with mirror symmetry, and the gold-substituted C atom is displaced by 0.740 (5) Å from the almost exactly planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0038 Å) Au(2)P(2) group.