A SEARCH FOR THE ELUSIVE RED FORM IN SUBSTITUTED PT-II BIPYRIDINE COMPLEXES

An expedient method for the synthesis of [Pt(bu(2)bpy)Cl-2], 1, (bu(2) bpy) = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine, is reported. The X-ray crys tal structure determination of the complex 1 revealed that the monomer s stack in a head-to-tail fashion with the interplanar separation of 3 .7 Angstrom. The platinum centers are 5.643 Angstrom apart and the bip yridine portion of the ligands are anti to each other and offset. X-ra y crystal structure analyses were performed for the complexes [PtMe(2) (bu(2)bpy)] (2), [PtMe(2)(Me(2)bpy)] (3), (Me(2)bpy) = 4,4'-dimethyl-2 ,2'bipyridine and [PtMe(2)(bpy)] (4), (bpy) = 2,2'-bipyridine, and var ious aspects of these structures are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scie nce Ltd.