Synthesis, reactivity and crystal structures of platinum (II) and platinum (IV) cyclometallated compounds derived from 2- and 4-biphenylimines

The reaction of [Pt₂Me₄(μ-SMe₂)₂] with ligands 4-C₆H₅C₆H₄CHNCH₂CH₂NMe₂ (1a) and 2-C₆H₅C₆H₄CHNCH₂CH₂NMe₂ (1b) carried out in acetone at room temperature produced compounds [PtMe₂{4-C₆H₅C₆H₄CHNCH₂CH₂NMe₂}] (2a) and [PtMe₂{2-C₆H₅C₆H₄CHNCH₂CH₂NMe₂}] (2b), respectively, in which the imines act as bidentate [N,N′] ligands. Cyclometallated [C,N,N′] compounds [PtMe{4-C₆H₅C₆H₃CHNCH₂CH₂NMe₂}] (3a) and [PtMe{2-C₆H₅C₆H₃CHNCH₂CH₂NMe₂}] (3b), were obtained by refluxing toluene solutions of compounds 2a or 2b. Reaction of [Pt₂Me₄(μ-SMe₂)₂] with ligands 4-C₆H₅C₆H₄CHNCH₂Ph (1c) and 2-C₆H₅C₆H₄CHNCH₂Ph (1d) produced compounds [PtMe{4-C₆H₅C₆H₃CHNCH₂Ph}SMe₂] (5c) and [PtMe{2-C₆H₅C₆H₃CHNCH₂Ph}SMe₂] (5d) containing a [C,N] ligand, from which triphenylphosphine derivatives 6c and 6d were also prepared. In all cases, metallation took place to yield five-membered endo-metallacycles and formation of seven-membered or of exo-metallacycles was not observed. The reactions of 3a, 3b, 6c and 6d with methyl iodide were studied in acetone and gave the corresponding cyclometallated platinum (IV) compounds. All compounds were characterised by NMR spectroscopy and compounds 3b, 4a, 6c and 6d were also characterised crystallographically.