STABLE 5-COORDINATE [PT(NN')(OLEFIN)(R)X] COMPLEXES FORMED BY OXIDATIVE ADDITION TO [PT(NN')(OLEFIN)] PRECURSORS

The oxidative addition of an electrophilic reagent such as a halogen or an alkyl halide to a suitable three-coordinate species of the type [Pt((N N'))(olefin)] ((N N') = chelating N,N-ligand) affords a five-coordinate product. The reaction provides a new versatile route to the synthesis of trigonal bipyramidal complexes of general formula [Pt(X)(Y)((N N'))(olefin)] (X = halide; Y = hydrocarbyl or halide). This is apparently the first widely applicable oxidative addition process to three-coordinate M(0) organometallic derivatives of group 10 elements to give isolabele five-coordinate M(II) products. Some general features of the addition and preliminary observations on the reaction mechanism are described.