Platinum allenylidene complexes and formation of platinum and palladium acetonitrile alkynyl complexes

The platinum(0) complex [Pt(PPh₃)₄] reacts with brominated propargylic amides and esters in benzene by oxidative addition to give trans-[Br(PPh₃)₂Pt-CC-C(O)R] complexes whereas no reaction occurs when halogenated solvents (CH₂Cl₂, CHCl₃) are used. The cis-ligands PPh₃ can be replaced by P(ⁱPr)₃ and the bromide by trifluoroacetate. O-Alkylation of those trans-[X(PR′₃)₂Pt-CC-C(O)R] complexes (X = Br, CF₃COO; R′ = Ph, ⁱPr) derived from propargylic amides with MeOTf or [Me₃O]BF₄ in CH₂Cl₂ gives the first cationic monoallenylidene complexes of platinum, trans-[X(PR′₃)₂PtCCC(OMe)NR₂]⁺Y⁻ (Y = OTf, BF₄). In contrast, trans-[Br(PPh₃)₂Pt-CC-C(O)OMenthyl] derived from a propargylic ester does not react with MeOTf in CH₂Cl₂. However, in acetonitrile instead of O-methylation the substitution of acetonitrile for the bromide ligand to yield the cationic acetonitrile alkynyl platinum complex trans-[MeCN(PPh₃)₂Pt-CC-C(O)OMenthyl]⁺OTf⁻ is observed. The related palladium complexes trans-[X(PR′₃)₂Pd-CC-C(O)OR] (X = Br, CF₃COO; R′ = Ph, ⁱPr, R = menthyl, Et) react with MeOTf or [Et₃O]BF₄ analogously affording trans-[MeCN(PR′₃)₂Pd-CC-C(O)OR]⁺Y⁻ (Y = OTf, BF₄).