A general and convenient method of synthesizing dihydridoplatinum(II) complexes with bulky phosphine ligands

Abstract Platinum(II) dihydrides containing bulky phosphine ligands, trans -PtH 2 L 2 (L = PCy 3 , P-i-Pr 3 , P-n-Bu-t-Bu 2 , PMe-t-Bu 2 ), have been prepared conveniently and in excellent yield from the reaction of the corresponding peroxycarbonato complexes with NaBH 4 . A similar reduction of the dioxygen platinum(II) complexes also affords the dihydrides but less readily. All these dihydrides react with highly activated acetylenes to form the trans -hydridovinyl complexes.