Hydrogen versus fluorine: effects on molecular structure and intermolecular interactions in a platinum isocyanate complex

At the molecular level, the enantiomerically pure square‐planar organoplatinum complex (SP‐4‐4)‐(R)‐[2‐(1‐aminoethyl)‐5‐fluorophenyl‐κ²C¹,N][(R)‐1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)ethylamine‐κN](isocyanato‐κN)platinum(II), [Pt(C₈H₉FN)(NCO)(C₈H₁₀FN)], and its congener without fluorine substituents on the aryl rings adopt the same structure within error. The similarities between the compounds extend to the most relevant intermolecular interactions, i.e. N—H…O and N—H…N hydrogen bonds link neighbouring molecules into chains along the shortest lattice parameter in each structure. Differences between the crystal structures of the fluoro‐substituted and parent complex become obvious with respect to secondary interactions perpendicular to the classical hydrogen bonds; the fluorinated compound features short C—H…F contacts with an F…H distance of ca 2.6 Å. The fluorine substitution is also reflected in reduced backbonding from the metal cation to the isocyanate ligand.