Abstract
Transition metal complexes containing phosphine, arsine and stibine ligands are widely being investigated in various fields of organometallic chemistry (Spessard & Miessler, 1996). As part of a systematic investigation involving complexes with the general formula trans/cis-[MX2(L)2] (M = Pt or Pd; X = halogen, Me, Ph; L = group 15 donor ligand), the crystals of the title compound, were obtained.
[PtCl2(L)2] (L = tertiary phosphine, arsine or stibine) complexes can conveniently be prepared by the substitution of 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) from [PtCl2(COD)]. The title compound, cis-[PtCl2{P(4—H2C=CHC6H4) Ph2}2], crystallizes in the triclinic spacegroup P1, with the Pt atom on a center of symmetry and each pair of equivalent ligands in a cis orientation. The geometry is a slightly distorted square planar and the Pt atom is slightly elevated out of the coordinating atom plane. The two P atoms are closer to each other but away from the two chloride atoms with angles of P1—Pt—P2 = 96.1 (4)° and Cl1—Pt—Cl2 = 87.7 (4)° whereas the P1—Pt—Cl1 is = 175.1 (4)° and that of P1—Pt—Cl2 being 89.6 (4)° The title compound compares well with other closely related PtII complexes from the literature containing two chloro and two tertiary phosphine ligands in a cis geometry. The title compound, containing Pt—Cl bond lengths of 2.3566 (9) and 2.3336 (9) Å and Pt—P bond distances of 2.2489 (9) and 2.2627 (9) Å, fits well into the typical range for complexes of this kind. Notably the title compound did not crystallise as a solvated complex; these type of PtII complexes have a tendency to crystallise as solvates (Meijboom & Omondi, 2011). Large thermal vibrations on the periphery of the molecule results in a badly defined C═C bond length. Disordered modelling resulted in an unstable refinement.