Influence of the phosphine arrangement on the reactivity of palladium(II) and platinum(II) polyphosphine complexes with copper(I) chloride

The distorted square-planar complexes [Pd(PNHP)Cl]Cl (1) (PNHP = bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]amine), [M(P3)Cl]Cl [P3 = bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]phenylphosphine; M = Pd (2), Pt (3)] and [Pt(NP3)Cl]Cl (5) (NP3 = tris[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]amine), coexisting in the later case with a square-pyramidal arrangement, react with one equivalent of CuCl to give the mononuclear heteroionic systems [M(L)Cl](CuCl2) [L = PNHP, M = Pd (1a); L = P3, M = Pd (2a), Pt (3a); L = NP3, M = Pt (5a)]. The crystal structure of 3a confirms that Pt(II) retains the distorted square-planar geometry of 3 in the cation with P3 acting as tridentate chelating ligand, the central P atom being trans to one chloride. The counter anion is a nearly linear dichlorocuprate(I) ion. However, the five-coordinate complexes [Pd(NP3)Cl]Cl (4), [M(PP3)Cl]Cl (M = Pd (6), Pt (7); PP3 = tris[2-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl] phosphine) containing three fused five-membered chelate rings undergo a ring-opening by interaction with one (4, 6, 7) and two (6, 7) equivalents of CuCl with formation of neutral MCu(L)Cl3 [L = NP3, M = Pd (4a); L = PP3, M = Pd (6a), Pt (7a)] and ionic [MCu(PP3)Cl2](CuCl2) [M = Pd (6b), Pt (7b)] compounds, respectively. The heteronuclear systems were shown by 31P NMR to have structures where the phosphines are acting as tridentate chelating ligands to M(II) and monodentate bridging to Cu(I). Further additions of CuCl to the neutral species 6a and 7a in a 1:1 ratio resulted in the achievement of the ionic complexes 6b and 7b with View the MathML sourceCuCl2- ions as counter anions. It was demonstrated that the formation of heterobimetallic or just mononuclear mixed salt complexes was clearly influenced by the polyphosphine arrangement with the tripodal ligands giving the former compounds. However, complexes [M(NP3)Cl]Cl constitute one exception and the type of reaction undergone versus CuCl is a function of the d8 metal centre