OXIDATION OF ORGANOPLATINUM(II) AND ORGANOPALLADIUM(II) COMPLEXES BY WATER - THE X-RAY STRUCTURE OF THE TRIMETHYLPALLADIUM(IV) COMPLEX FAC-[PDME3(TRIS(PYRAZOL-1-YL)BORATE)] FORMED ON OXIDATION OF A DIMETHYLPALLADIUM(II) REAGENT

Diphenyl(tris(pyridin-2-yl)methanol}platinum(II) reacts with water in acetone to form the platinum(IV) complex [PtPh2{(py)3COH}(OH)]-[OH].nH2O (n is similar to 1). In contrast, the palladium(II) species [PdMe2-{(py)3COH)] and [PdMeR{tris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate}]- (R = Me, Ph) react with water to form a mixture of Pd(IV) and Pd(II) complexes in reactions involving both oxidation and methyl group transfer. The Pd(IV) complexes fac-[PdMe3{(py),COH}]+ and fac-[PdMe2R{(pz)3-BH}] (R = Me, Ph) have been identified as products, together with methylpalladium(II) and phenylpalladium(II) species, and the structure of fac-[PdMe3{(pz)3BH)] determined by X-ray crystallography.