Organoplatinum(II) Complexes Featuring the 2‐Vinylpyridine Ligand

Room temperature reaction of 2‐vinylpyridine ligand ( L , 2 equiv.) with the known dimethylplatinum(II) complex cis,cis ‐[Me 2 Pt( µ ‐SMe 2 ) 2 PtMe 2 ], A , provided a novel dimeric platinum(II) complex [PtMe 2 ( µ 2 ‐ η 1 : η 2 ‐2‐vpy)] 2 , 2 , by displacement of the dimethyl sulfide (SMe 2 ) ligands with the nitrogen atom and the olefinic double bond donors of 2‐vpy. The single crystal structure of complex 2 reveals a distorted square‐planar geometry around platinum centers. Two L groups in this complex act as bridging ligands between platinum centers, displaying a short Pt⋅⋅⋅Pt interaction with unique orientation in a head‐to‐tail (HT) arrangement. Complex 2 was not stable in dimethyl sulfoxide (dmso) solution, and through C‐H bond activation produced methane and cyclometalated complex [PtMe( η 1 : η 1 ‐2‐vpy)(dmso)], 1 .