Structural investigations of palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes of salicylhydroxamic acid

Complexes of salicylhydroxamic acid (shaH) with palladium(II) and platinum(II) were investigated. The synthesis of Pt(sha)(2)] was attempted via a number of methods, and ultimately (1)H NMR investigations revealed that salicylhydroxamate would not coordinate to chloro complexes of platinum(II). However, Pt(sha-H)(PPh(3))(2)] was successfully synthesized and the crystal structure determined (orthorhombic, space group Pca2(1) a = 17.9325(19) A, b = 11.3102(12) A, c = 18.2829(19) A, Z = 4, R = 0.0224). The sha binds via an O,O] binding mode, in its hydroximate form. In contrast the palladium complex Pd(sha)(2)] was readily synthesized and crystallized as Pd(sha)(2)](DMF)(4) in the triclinic space group P(-)1,a = 7.066(1) A, b = 9.842(2) A, c = 12.385(2) A, alpha = 99.213(3)(o), beta = 90.669(3), gamma = 109.767(3)(o), Z = 1, R = 0.037. The unexpected N,O'] binding mode of the salicylhydroxamate ligand in Pd(sha)(2)] prompted investigation of the stability of a number of binding modes of salicylhydroxamic acid in M(sha)(2)] (M = Pd, Pt) by density functional theory, using the B3LYP hybrid functional at the 6-311G* level of theory. Geometry optimizations were carried out for various binding modes of the ligands and their relative energies established. It was found that the N,O'] mode gave the more stable complex, in accord with experimental observations. Stabilization of hydroxamate binding to platinum is evidently afforded by soft ligands lying trans to them.