Bis[bis­(diphenyl­phosphino­yl)acetonitrile-κ(2) O,O′]copper(II)

The title complex, [Cu(C(26)H(20)NO(2)P(2))(2)], contains a central Cu(II) atom surrounded by two homoleptic bidentate ligands, which form two five-membered chelate rings. The Cu atom binds to four O atoms, resulting in a four-coordinate square-planar complex. The asymmetric unit contains half of the complex, the other half being completed by inversion symmetry. The Cu—O bond lengths have similar distances, viz. 1.9153 (10) Å for the pair opposite (trans) each other and 1.9373 (10) Å for the other (trans) pair. The P—O bond lengths are 1.5250 (11) Å, indicating significant electron delocalization across the O—P—C—P—O atoms in the chelate ring, resulting in a longer P—O bond length when compared to a formal double-bond P=O character (much shorter at approximately 1.47 Å). The two inter­secting O—Cu—O angles are both linear at 180°, whilst the remaining L-shaped O—Cu—O bond angles are 88.26 (5) and 91.74 (5)°. The C—C N fragment is slightly distorted from linearity at 177.44 (19)° and the C N bond length of 1.151 (2) Å indicates predominantly triple-bond character.