Ethidium tetra-phenyl-borate aceto-nitrile disolvate.

In the title solvated salt, (C(21)H(20)N(3)){B(C(6)H(5))(4)}·2CH(3)CN (systematic name 3,8-di-amino-5-ethyl-6-phenyl-phenanthridin-5-ium tetra-phenyl-borate aceto-nitrile disolvate), the dihedral angle between the tricyclic fused ring system (r.m.s. deviation = 0.021†à ) and the pendant phenyl group of the ethidium cation is 84.91†(7)°. The {B(C(6)H(5))(4)}(-) anion has a typical tetra-hedral structure. The aceto-nitrile solvent mol-ecules do not accept hydrogen bonds from the -NH(2) groups of the ethidium ions.