Palladium and Platinum Complexes Containing Diphenyl‐2‐(3‐methyl)indolylphosphine.

Syntheses and characterisation of group ten complexes containing the ligand diphenyl‐2‐(3‐methyl)indolylphosphine are presented herein. The complexes [trans‐PdCl2{PPh2(C9H8N)}2] (1), [cis‐PtCl2{PPh2(C9H8N)}2] (2), [trans‐Pd(CH3)Cl{PPh2(C9H8N)}2] (3) and [trans‐Pt(CH3)Cl{PPh2(C9H8N)}2] (4) have all been structurally characterized by X‐ray crystallography. In all cases, the ligands coordinate to the metal centres via the phosphorus donor atom (κ1‐P) and the pendent NH groups on the indolyl rings of the ligand are orientated so that there is some degree of interaction with the metal–chloride bonds. The unexpected reactivity of 4 with Na[B{3,5‐C6H3(CF3)2}4] is also reported. In this case, the product resulting from this reaction was found to be [Pt{3,5‐C6H3(CF3)2}2{PPh2(C9H8N)}2]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]