Bis(triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium iodide

The title compound, C36H30NP2+center dot I-, was obtained accidently from crystallization of a reaction mixture containing [(Ph3P)(2)N]OH and B(OH)(3), which was contaminated with MeI. There are two independent [(Ph3P)(2)N](+) cations and two I- anions within the asymmetric unit. The central PNP angles are non-linear [137.6 (2) and 134.4 (2)degrees] and the phenyl substituents on P centres adopt different conformations within these two cations.