Synthesis and reactivity of novel cationic organonickel(II) compexes. X-ray structure of [bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)phenylphosphinenickel-O-methylsulfinate]tetraphenylborate

Cationic tetracoordinate nickel(II) compounds containing a nickelcarbon σ bond with general formula NiR(etp)]Y, (etp  bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)phenylphosphine, PhP(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₂; R = CH₃, CH₂C₆H₅, C₆H₅; Y = BPh₄, PF₆) were synthesized by reaction of the complexes NiX(etp)]Y (X = halogen) with appropriate Grignard reagents.This type of organometallic complexes undergo insertion of sulfur dioxide into the NiC bond with formation of tetracoordinate O-sulfinate derivatives of nickel(II). The structure of NiOS(O)CH₃(etp)]BPh₄ has been determined from three dimensional X-ray data collected by counter methods. The compound crystallized in the triclinic group P$\text{1}$ with cell dimensions a 16.726(4), a 15.350(4), c 11.632(3) Å, α 66.55(4), β 73.37(4), γ 74.75(4)°, Z = 2. The structure was refined by full matrix least-squares methods to a conventional R factor of 0.076. The coordination polyhedron has a distorted square planar geometry. The sulfinate group is linked to the metal through an oxygen atom.