Platinum complexes of diazo ligands. Studies of regioselective aromatic ring amination, oxidative halogen addition and reductive halogen elimination reactions

2-(Arylazo)pyridine ligands, L1a-1c react with the salt K2PtCl4] to give the mononuclear complexes PtCl2(L1)](1), which readily react with ArNH2 to yield the monochloro complexes of type PtCl(L2)](HL2= 2-(2-(arylamino)phenyl)azo]pyridine)(2) via regioselective ortho-amine fusion at the pendent aryl ring of coordinated L1. Oxidative addition of the electrophiles Y2(Y = Cl, Br, I) to the square-planar platinum(II) complex, has led to syntheses of the corresponding octahedral platinum(IV) complexes, PtY3(L2)](3) in high yields. Ascorbate ion reductions of the platinum(IV) complexes, , resulted in reductive halogen elimination to revert to the platinum(II) complexes almost quantitatively. Isolation of products and X-ray structure determination of the representative complexes followed all these chemical reactions. In crystal packing, the compound PtCl2(L1c)](1c) forms dimeric units with a Pt...Pt distance of 3.699(1) A. In contrast, the crystal packing of 2b revealed that the molecules are arranged in an antiparallel fashion to form a noncovalent 1D chain to accommodate pi(aryl)-pi(pyridyl) and Pt-pi(aryl) interactions. Notably, the oxidation of Pt(II)Cl(L2a)](2a) by I2 produced a mixed halide complex Pt(IV)ClI2(L2a)](5), which, in turn, is reduced by ascorbate ion to produce Pt(II)I(L2a)] with the elimination of ClI. All the platinum(II) complexes are brown, the platinum(IV) complexes, on the other hand, are green. Low-energy visible range transitions in the complexes of the extended ligand L2]- are ascribed to ligand basedpi-pi* transitions. Cyclic voltammetric behaviour of the complexes is reported.