A new family of cyclometalated (N-heterocyclic carbene)-Pt(II) complexes bearing monodentate phosphines as ancillary ligands has been designed for use as precatalysts in 1,6-enyne cycloisomerization reactions. Highly enantioselective skeletal rearrangements of allylpropargyl-tosylamide derivatives have been developed by using (S)-Ph-Binepine as the chiral auxiliary. Enantiomeric excesses up to 97% have been obtained.

A new synthetic approach allows access to axially chiral square-planar platinum(II) complexes by combining an enantiomerically pure diphosphine (DuPHOS, BPE, or Chiraphos) and an unsymmetric NHC ligand. The same approach proVed to be highly stereoselectiVe when applied to the synthesis of a chiral triazolylidene-dppe mixed complex.

Square-planar platinum(II) complexes that combine chiral diphosphines and NHC ligands have been obtained in high yields from (NHC)Pt(0)(dvtms) complexes, via an oxidative addition/ligand exchange sequence. The use of suitable carbene−diphosphine pairs allows axially chiral, configurationally stable platinum complexes to be isolated. The Pt(II) complexes have been evaluated as precatalysts for the cycloisomerization reaction of an allyl propargylamine derivative. Their catalytic properties have been examined as a function of structural variations on both the diphosphine and the NHC units. For axially chiral species possible epimerization pathways have been envisioned and the inversion barriers have been estimated through computational studies.