Coordination of phosphinoboranes R2PB(C6F5)2 to platinum: an alkene-type behavior.

The paucity of boron-containing heteroalkene complexes prompted us to explore the coordination of phosphinoboranes. The complexes {[R(2)PB(C(6)F(5))(2)]Pt(PPh(3))(2)} (R = Cy, t-Bu) were obtained by ethylene displacement. Spectroscopic and crystallographic data indicated symmetric side-on coordination of the phosphinoborane to Pt. Thorough analysis of the bonding situation by computational means revealed important similarities but also significant differences between the phosphinoborane and ethylene complexes.