Di-μ-iodido-bis-{[(R)-(+)-2,2'-bis-(di-phenyl-phosphan-yl)-1,1'-binaphthyl-κ(2)P,P']copper(I)} 0.67-hydrate.

The structure of the title compound, [Cu(2)I(2)(C(44)H(32)P(2))(2)]·0.67H(2)O, has been determined because of its inter-esting catalytic and optical features. The mol-ecule, which has non-crystallographic C2-symmetry, consists of a core structure of two Cu(I) ions, bridged by two iodide ions. Each Cu(I) ion is also coordinated by one equivalent of the chiral bidentate (R)-BINAP ligand [BINAP = 2,2'-bis-(diphenyl-phosphan-yl)-1,1'-binaphth-yl]. Thus, both cations show a distorted tetra-hedral geometry being surrounded by two I atoms and two P atoms from the (R)-BINAP ligands. The complex consists of isolated butterfly-shaped mol-ecules featuring an angle of 146.11 (2)° between adjacent CuI(2) planes. The structure displays intra-molecular C-H⋯I hydrogen bonding and contains disordered water. The absolute configuration of this chiral complex was determined by anomalous dispersion effects.