X‐ray powder study of cis‐dichloridobis(methylamine)platinum(II)

The title compound, cis-[PtCl2(CH3NH2)2], was obtained from the reaction of K2PtCl4 with CH3NH2·HCl and CH3COOK. The single-crystal structure has been reported previously [Wimmer, Wimmer, Jaud, Johnson & Castan (1988). Inorg. Chim. Acta, 144, 25–30], but no three-dimensional coordinates are available. We have carried out an ab initio crystal structure determination using X-ray powder diffraction techniques. The crystal structure consists of discrete mol­ecules, with the PtII atom in a slightly distorted square-planar coordination environment. The methyl groups lie on the same side of the plane defined by the two N and two Cl atoms. Mol­ecules are connected via inter­molecular N—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds to form two-dimensional layers perpendicular to the b axis. The methyl­amine groups protrude from these layers, forming organic inter­layers.