SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL HETEROBIMETALLIC COMPLEXES OF PLATINUM(II) BRIDGEDBY THE MIXED PHOSPHINE PHOSPHINE OXIDE LIGANDS PH2P(CH2)2P(O)PH2

The mixed phosphine-phosphine oxides Ph2P(CH2)n-P(O)Ph2 (n = 1 or 2) r eact with K2PtCl4 to give cis-{PtCl2[eta1-Ph2P(CH2)nP(O)Ph2]2}. Treatm ent of the latter (n = 2) with transition metal chlorides MCl2.nH2O, o r with Me2SnCl2, SnCl4.5H2O, Th(NO3)4.xH2O or UO2(NO3)2. 6H2O, gives n ovel heterobimetallic complexes identified as cis-{PtCl2[mu-Ph2P(CH2)2 P(O)Ph2]2MX2}.nH2O. Attempts to prepare similar heterobimetallic compl exes using the starting complexes {PtX2[eta1-Ph2PCH2P(O)Ph2]2} (X=Cl, cis- or CN, trans-] were unsuccessful. Possible reasons for this are d iscussed.