Heterolytic addition of E-H bonds across Pt-P bonds in Pt N-heterocyclic phosphenium/phosphido complexes.

The reactivity of E-H bonds (E = S, O, Cl) with Pt(II) complexes ligated by an N-heterocyclic phosphido-containing diphosphine ligand have been investigated. Addition of PhSH to [(PPP)Pt(PPh(3))][PF(6)] (1) results in clean formation of [(PP(H)P)Pt(SPh)][PF(6)] (3), in which the substrate has added across the Pt-P(NHP) bond. Similar reactivity occurs when 1 is treated with ROH (R = Ph, Me), but in this case the O-H bond adds across the Pt-P bond in the opposite direction producing [(PP(OR)P)Pt(H)(PPh(3))][PF(6)] (R = Ph (4), Me (5)). HCl addition to 1 cleanly generates [(PP(H)P)PtCl][PF(6)] (6(PF6)). The neutral Pt-NHP complex (PPP)PtCl (2) exhibits similar reactivity; however, in the presence of the nucleophilic Cl(-) anion, the (PP(OR)P)Pt(H)Cl species presumably generated via addition of ROH (R = Me, Et) undergoes an Arbuzov-like dealkylation reaction to exclusively form the N-heterocylic phosphinito species (PP(O)P)Pt(H) (7).