Recent advances in homogeneous catalysis using platinum complexes

This report highlights the many recent examples of reactions that can be effectively catalysed by platinum complexes. These studies have not only yielded several synthetically useful reactions, but also allowed a greater understanding of the reactivity of platinum complexes in general. The types of reactions discussed range from carbonylation reactions, allylic substitution, oxidation, through to the many recent examples in which platinum has been shown to be particularly suited to the catalysed addition of main group compounds to unsaturated substrates. Recurring themes in this field of chemistry are oxidative addition (C-O, B-B, B-Si, S-S, Sn-Sn, S-Si, Si-Si, P-H, H-H, SI-H, C=C, C-C bonds have all been shown to add to platinum complexes), co-ordination and activation of unsaturated molecules, and insertion of unsaturated species into Pt-main group bonds. The report aims to highlight examples where platinum complexes are either unique as catalysts for a reaction, or examples where platinum compounds show different behaviour to other metal catalysts. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.