trans‐Dichloridobis(4,8‐dimethyl‐2‐phenyl‐2‐phosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane‐κP)platinum(II)

The crystal structure of the title compound, trans‐[PtCl₂(C₁₆H₂₃P)₂], has been determined at 100 K. The Pt atom is located on a twofold axis and adopts a distorted square‐planar coordination geometry. The structure is only the second example of a coordination complex containing a derivative of the 4,8‐dimethyl‐2‐phosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (Lim) phosphine ligand family. The ligand contains four chiral C atoms, with the stereochemistry at three of these fixed during synthesis, therefore resulting in two possible ligand stereoisomers. The compound crystallizes in the chiral space group P4₃2₁2 but is racemic, comprising an equimolar mixture of both stereoisomers disordered on a single ligand site. The effective cone angles for both isomers are the same at 146°.