Novel optically pure cholesteryl-phosphine ligands (3 alpha-PPh(2)chol and
3 beta-PMe(2)chol) have been synthesized and were shown to form stable and
highly soluble Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes; as revealed by an X-ray analysi
s the (chol)-P ... P(chol) fragment of the square planar trans-[PtI2(3 beta
-PMe(2)chol)(2)] complex adopts a staggered arrangement (V-shape).