Insertion reactions of SnCl2 into Pt–Cl bonds in pentahalophenylplatinate(II) complexes

Rational Syntheses and Serendipity: Complexes [LSnPtCl2 (SMe2 )]2 , [{LSnPtCl(SMe2 )}2 SnCl2 ], [(LSn)3 (PtCl2 )(PtClSnCl){LSn(Cl)OH}], and [O(SnCl)2 (SnL)2 ] with L=MeN(CH2 CMe2 O)2

Syntheses and molecular structures of the dimeric tin-platinum complex [LSnPtCl₂ (SMe₂ )]₂ (2), the tin-platinum clusters [{LSnPtCl(SMe₂ )}₂ SnCl₂ )] (3) and [(LSn)₃ (PtCl₂ )(PtClSnCl)(LSnOHCl)] (6) (L=MeN(CH₂ CMe₂ O^- )₂ ), and of the unprecedented tin(II) aminoalkoxide-tin oxide chloride complex [O(SnCl)₂ ⋅(SnL)₂ ] (5) are reported. The compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy (¹ H, ¹³ C, ¹¹⁹ Sn, ¹⁹⁵ Pt), ¹¹⁹ Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy (1-3, 6), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, elemental analyses, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses (2⋅CH₂ Cl₂ , 3⋅2 C₄ H₈ O, 5, 6⋅3CH₂ Cl₂ ). The tin(II) aminoalkoxide [MeN(CH₂ CMe₂ O)₂ Sn]₂ (1) behaves like a neutral ligand, inserts into a Pt-Cl bond, or is involved in rearrangement reactions with the different behavior occurring even within one compound (3, 6). DFT calculations show that the tin-platinum compounds behave like electronic chameleons.