Inclusion properties of palladium(II) and platinum(II) hydroquinonylphosphine complexes: the molecular and crystal structures of trans-[PdCl 2(pphgH 2) 2]·(acetone) 2, trans-[PtCl 2(pphgH 2) 2]·(dimethylformamide) 4 and trans-[PdCl 2(pphgMe 2) 2

Abstract

The X-ray single crystal structures of two p-hydroquinonylphosphine complexes, trans-[PdCl 2(pphgH 2) 2] ( 1) and trans-[PtCl 2(pphgH 2) 2] ( 2)A and one p-hydroquinonyldimethyletherphosphine complex, trans-[PdCl 2(pphqMe 2) 2] ( 3), are described. 1 co-crystallizes with two molecules of lattice-included acetone (( 1)·(acetone) 2) in the monoclinic space group C2/m with Z = 2 and cell constants a = 13.857(6) b = 13.589(3) c = 11.863(5) A ̊ β = 104.68(2)° . Intermolecular hydrogen bonding between molecules of 1 leads to channels that run parallel to the c axis and which include the acetone guest molecules. Complex 2 co-crystallizes with four molecules of dimethylformamide solvent (( 2)· (DMF) 4) in the triclinic space group P 1 with Z = 1 and cell constants a = 10.500(6), b = 11.927(8), c = 12.225(6) A ̊ α = 64.65(5), β = 66.74(5) γ = 78.84(5)° . Each dimethylformamide molecule in ( 2)·(DMF) 4 is hydrogen bonded to one of the four OH groups of 2. Complex 3 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with Z = 1 and cell constants a = 9.063(5), b = 10.548(7), c = 11.596(8) A ̊ α = 111.57(3), β = 111.26(3)A γ = 90.09( 4)° . It is shown that there is a close relationship between the molecular structures and the co-crystalline behavior of 1 and 2 and the molecular structures and inclusion properties of organic ‘wheel-and-axle’ host molecules. The analogy is extended to provide some guidelines for the design of new inorganic host molecules.