Triethylammonium O-3β-cholest-5-en-3-yl (4-methoxyphenyl) dithiophosphonate

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C₆H ₁₆N⁺·C₃₄H₅₂O ₂PS₂^- or [(CH₃CH₂) ₃NH]⁺·[C₃₄H₅₂O ₂PS₂]^-, the cation and anion are paired via weak, inter-molecular, bifurcated N - H⋯(S,S) hydrogen bonds. The cholesteryl units form an alternating (herringbone) motif as well as an infinitely stacked layered structure along the b axis. The P - S bond lengths [1.975 (2) and 1.981 (2) Å compared with ca 1.92 Å for a formal P=S double bond and with ca 2.01 Å for a P - S single bond] suggest delocalization of the negative charge between the P - S bonds. A distorted tetra-hedral geometry around the P atom is revealed by non-ideal O - P - C and S - P - S bond angles of 96.7 (2) and 115.52 (11)°, respectively.