A convenient route to dinuclear chloro-bridged platinum(II) derivatives via nitrile complexes.

The syntheses of the complexes [PtCl(2)(NCR)L] [R = Me, Et; L = PPh(3); R = Et, L = Py, CO] and [PtCl{(κ(2)-P,C)P(OC(6)H(4))(OPh)(2)}(NCEt)] are described starting from the easily available [PtCl(2)(NCR)(2)]. The stability of the products under different experimental conditions is discussed as well as their use as precursors to dinuclear complexes [Pt(μ-Cl)ClL](2). The crystal and molecular structures of cis-[PtCl(2)(NCEt)(PPh(3))], [SP-4-2]-[PtCl{(κ(2)-P,C)P(OC(6)H(4))(OPh)(2)}(NCEt)] and trans-[Pt(μ-Cl){(κ(2)-P,C)P(OC(6)H(4))(OPh)(2)}](2) are reported.