New Heterodimetallic Platinum(II) Complexes Potentially Useful as Molecular Switches

Abstract

AbstractFour types of platinum(II) complexes of general formulae [Pt(FcCH=NC6H4OH‐2)Cl2(L)] [Fc = (η5‐C5H5)Fe(η5‐C5H4), L = dmso (2) or PhCN (3)], [Pt(FcCH=NC6H4O‐2)Cl(dmso)] (4), [Pt{(η5‐C5H3CH=NC6H4O‐2)Fe(η5‐C5H5)}(L)] [L = dmso (5) or PPh3 (6)] or [Pt{(η5‐C5H3CH=NC6H4OH‐2)Fe(η5‐C5H5)}Cl(L)] [L = dmso (7) or PPh3 (8)] have been prepared. These compounds differ in the mode of binding of the ligand: (N) (in 2 and 3), (N,O)– (in 4), [C(sp2, ferrocene),N,O]2– (in 5 and 6) or [C(sp2, ferrocene),N]– (in 7 and 8). NMR, UV/Vis and electrochemical studies of 2 and 4–8 reveal that these products can be grouped in three pairs [(2c, 4b), (5, 7) and (6, 8)], and one of the compounds of each pair can be easily converted into its partner by a H+/OH– chemical input. The results obtained revealed that these transformations, that affect the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties, are reversible and robust. A study of the relevancy of the mode of binding of compounds 2 and 4–8 upon their potential utility of the new platinum(II) complexes as molecular switches is reported. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)