Synthesis and characterisation of new platinum ethynyl dimers and polymers with pendant ferrocenyl groups

The square-planar platinum(II) complex trans -[(Ph(2)FcP)(2)PtCl2] (1) (Fe = ferrocenyl), that is a metal-containing polymer precursor, has been synthesised and its single crystal structure determined. Using 1, new ferrocene-containing platinum ethynyl dimers trans -[PhFcP)(2)Pt(-C=C-R)(2)] {R = SiMe3 (2), C6H5 (3) and C6H4-p-NO2 (4), and a polymer [(Ph(2)FcP)(2)Pt(-CdropC-C6H2-p-(OC8H17)(2)-CdropC-)](n) (5) have been formed by the reaction of the metal precursor with the appropriate mono- and bis-ethynyl ligands. Single crystal X-ray studies of 4 have shown it to exist as two different polymorphic forms. both having trans-geometry with respect to the ferrocenyl phosphines and ethynyl ligands. GPC measurements on the polymer show a high degree of polymerisation with an average molecular weight of ca. 88 000. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.