Novel reactivity of unconjugated diimines with [PtCl2(coe)]2 (coe=cis-cyclooctene)

The addition of unconjugated diimines [ArC(H)NCH2CH2NC(H)Ar, L1: Ar=3-C6H4Bpin (pin=1,2-O2C2Me4), L2: Ar=4-C6H4Bpin, and L3: Ar=4-C6H4OMe] to [PtCl2(coe)]2 (coe=cis-cyclooctene) affords the corresponding dinuclear species [trans-PtCl2(coe)]2L (1–3), where the diimine coordinates in a monodentate fashion to each of the metal centres. Compounds have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and for the case of 2, by X-ray diffraction.