THE SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NI, PD AND PT MALEONITRILEDITHIOLATE COMPLEXES - X-RAY CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES OF THE ISOMORPHOUS NI, PD AND PT (PH2PCH2CH2PPH2)M(MALEONITRILEDITHIOLATE) CONGENERS

The synthesis of a series of maleonitriledithiolate complexes of nicke l, palladium and platinum phosphines having the formulae (dppe)M(mnt) and (Ph3P)(2)M(mnt) (where dppe = Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2, mnt = 1,2-dicyanoeth ene-1,2-dithiolate and M =Ni, Pd or Pt) from the reaction of Na-2(mnt) and the appropriate (phosphine) MCl2 is reported. These complexes wer e characterized by a combination of mass spectrometry, IR, UV-Visible and H-1, C-13 and P-31 NMR spectroscopy. In addition, characterization of the title complexes by single crystal X-ray diffraction of all thr ee congeners revealed them to be isomorphous. Analysis of the diffract ion data reveals that the metal centers are all square planar, that th e planar mnt ligands are tilted slightly away from the metal square pl anes, and that the mnt ligand is best described as a dithiolate rather than a dithione. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.