Reaction of dimethylplatinum(II) complexes with PhCH2CH2Br: Comparative reactivity with CH3CH2Br and PhCH2Br and synthesis of Pt(IV) complexes

Oxidative addition of 2‐phenylethylbromide (PhCH₂CH₂Br) to dimethylplatinum(II) complexes PtMe₂(NN)] ( 1a , NN = 2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy); 1b , NN = 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen)) afforded the new organoplatinum(IV) complexes PtMe₂(Br)(PhCH₂CH₂)(bpy)], as a mixture of trans ( 2a ) and cis ( 3a ) isomers, and PtMe₂(Br)(PhCH₂CH₂)(phen)], as a mixture of trans ( 2b ) and cis ( 3b ) isomers, respectively. The new Pt(IV) complexes were readily characterized using multinuclear (¹H and ¹³C) NMR spectroscopy and elemental microanalysis. The crystal structure of 2a was further determined using X‐ray crystallography indicating an octahedral geometry around the platinum centre. A comparison of reactivity of RCH₂Br reagents (R = CH₃, Ph or PhCH₂) in their oxidative addition reactions with complex 1a , with an emphasis on the effects of the R groups of alkyl halides, was also conducted using density functional theory.