Phenylcopper is a colorless solid substance that is soluble in
pyridine. It can be stored for a few days without decomposition under nitrogen or in vacuum. Rapid decomposition takes place in air. Water decomposes phenylcopper to form red
copper (I) oxide and varying amounts of
benzene and
biphenyl. It forms stable complexes with
tributylphosphine and
triphenylphosphine.[4]
When dissolved in
dimethyl sulfide, phenylcopper forms dimers and trimers (aggregates of two or three molecules).[5]
Related
A diphenylcuprate(I) ion exists that can form a salt with lithium. (Li+[Cu(C6H5)2−).[5]
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abBertz, Steven H.; Dabbagh, Gary; He, Xiaoming; Power, Philip P. (December 1993). "New copper chemistry. 21. Phenylcopper(I) and diphenylcuprate(I): characterization of aggregation states by carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 115 (24): 11640–11641.
doi:
10.1021/ja00077a090.