Oxidation of organometallic complexes by water: Synthesis of diorgano(hydroxo)platinum(IV) complexes and the structure of a diorgano(aqua)platinum(IV) complex of tris(pyridin-2-yl)methanol, [PtPh(2){(py)(3)COH-N,N',N''}(OH2)][NO3](2)center dot H2O

The diorganoplatinum(II) complexes PtR(2){(py)(3)COH} (R = Me, Ph; (py)(3)COH = tris(pyridin-2-yl)methanol) react with water in organic solvents to form diorgano(hydroxo)platinum(IV) cations [Pt(OH)R(2){(py)(3)COH}](+), and the cation with R = Ph reacts with dilute nitric acid to form [PtPh(2){(py)(3)COH}(OH2)](2+). The cation in [PtPh(2)((py)(3)COH)(OH2)][NO3]. H2O has octahedral geometry with a Pt-O bond distance of 2.04(1)Angstrom. The higher trans influence of phenyl than aqua ligands is reflected in the Pt-N bond distances: 2.14(2) and 2.17(1)Angstrom trans to the phenyl groups, and 1.99(2)Angstrom trans to the aqua ligand.