Different coordination modes of the dimethyldisulfide ligand in trimethylplatinum(IV) complexes

The reaction of PtMe₃(bpy)(Me₂CO)](BF₄) (2) (prepared from PtMe₃I(bpy)] (1) plus Ag(BF₄)) with MeSSMe resulted in the formation of PtMe₃(bpy)(MeSSMe-κS)](BF₄) (3). A single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed in the octahedral Pt(IV) complex (configuration index: OC-6-33), a conformation of the monodentately κS bound MeSSMe ligand (C–S–S–C 92.7(4)°) being very close to that in non-coordinated MeSSMe, thus allowing some hyperconjugative interaction stabilizing the S–S bond. The reaction of K(18C6)](PtMe₃)₂(μ-I)(μ-pz)₂] (4; 18C6 = 18-crown-6, Hpz = pyrazole) with Ag(BF₄) and MeSSMe resulted in the formation of dinuclear complexes (PtMe₃)₂(μ-pz)₂(μ-MeSSMe)] existing at room temperature in acetone solution as different fast interconverting isomers. At –40 °C, two isomers with a μ-1κS:2κS (5a) and a μ-1κS:2κS′ (5b) coordinated MeSSMe ligand in the ratio 2:1 could be identified ¹H NMR spectroscopically. DFT calculations of type 5 complexes revealed the existence of two conformers with a μ-MeSSMe-1κS:2κS ligand, which differ mainly in the C–S–S–C dihedral angle (66.4 vs. 180.0° 6a/6a′). They have essentially the same energy and a very low activation barrier in acetone as solvent (1.3 kcal/mol) for their mutual interconversion. A further equilibrium structure was identified to be an isomer having a μ-MeSSMe-1κS:2κS′ ligand (6b) that proved to be only 1.9 kcal/mol higher in energy than 6a/6a′.