The metal-mediated iminoacylation reaction of ketoximes or aldoximes upon treatment with the organonitrile platinum(IV) complexes trans-[PtCl(4)(RCN)(2)] proceeds under relatively mild conditions in acetonitrile (R = Me) or in chloroform (R = CH(2)Ph, Ph) to give trans-[PtCl(4)(NH=C(R)ON=CR(1)R(2))(2)] (R(1) = R(2) = Me; R(1)R(2) = C(4)H(8), R(1)R(2) = C(5)H(10), R(1)R(2) = (H)Ph, R(1)R(2) = (H)C(6)H(4)(OH)-o; 1-14) in 90-95% yield. All these compounds were characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N, Cl, Pt), FAB mass spectrometry, and IR and (1)H, (13)C{(1)H}, and (195)Pt NMR spectroscopies. X-ray structure determinations of [PtCl(4)(NH=C(Me)ON=CMe(2))(2)] (1) and [PtCl(4){NH=C(Me)ON=C(C(5)H(10))}(2)] (3) disclosed their overall trans-configuration and the amidine one-end rather than N,N-bidentate coordination mode of the N-donor ligands. The iminoacyl species are in E-conformation which is held by a rather weak N-H.N hydrogen bond between the amidine =NH atom and the oxime nitrogen with the following observed distances and angles for 1 and [3]: N(1).N(2), and N(1)-H, N(1)H.N(2) are 2.605 [2.592], 0.74 [0.71], and 2.20 [2.25] Å; N(1)-H.N(2) is 115 degrees [111 degrees ]. No evidence of the Z-conformation in solution was obtained by NMR spectroscopy. Compounds trans-[PtCl(4)(NH=C(R)ON=CR(1)R(2))(2)] are unexpectedly stable toward hydrolysis both in the solid state and in solutions.

[2 + 3] cycloaddition between acetonitrile ligands in the platinum(IV) complex [PtCl4(MeCN)2] and the nitrones -O+N(R3)C(R1)(R2) [R1 = H, R2 = Ph, o-C6H4OH, p-C6H4Me, p-C6H4OMe, p-C6H4NO2, p-C6H4NMe2, p-C6H4NMe2·HCl, R3 = Me; R1 = H, R2 = Ph, t Bu, R3 = CH2Ph] proceeds smoothly under mild conditions and gives the first examples of Δ4-1,2,4-oxadiazoline complexes, as a 1:1 mixture of two diastereoisomers, in 70−90% yields. The heterocyclic ligands were liberated almost quantitatively by reaction at room temperature of the complexes with a slight excess of pyridine in chloroform giving free and trans-[PtCl4(pyridine)2]; subsequent workup allowed the isolation of the novel Δ4-1,2,4-oxadiazolines. All prepared compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FAB or EI mass spectrometry, and IR and 1H, 13C{1H}, and 195Pt (metal complexes) NMR spectroscopies; X-ray structure determination was performed for the (R,S) diastereoisomer of

The ligated benzonitriles in the platinum(II) complex [PtCl2(PhCN)2] undergo metal-mediated [2 + 3] cycloaddition with nitrones -ON+(R3)=C(R1)(R2) [R1/R2/R3 = H/Ph/Me, H/p-MeC6H4/Me, H/Ph/CH2Ph] to give delta 4-1,2,4-oxadiazoline complexes, [PtCl2(N=C(Ph)O-N(R3)-C(R1)(R2))2] (2a, 4a, 6a), as a 1:1 mixture of two diastereoisomers, in 60-75% yields, while [PtCl2(MeCN)2] is inactive toward the addition. However, a strong activation of acetonitrile was reached by application of the platinum(IV) complex [PtCl4(MeCN)2] and both [PtCl4(RCN)2] (R = Me, Ph) react smoothly with various nitrones to give [PtCl4(N=C(R)O-N(R3)-C(R1)(R2))2] (1b-6b). The latter were reduced to the corresponding platinum(II) complexes [PtCl2(N=C(R)O-N(R3)-C(R1)(R2))2] (1a-6a) by treatment with PhCH2NHOH, while the reverse reaction, i.e. conversion of 1a-6a to 1b-6b, was achieved by chlorination with Cl2. The diastereoisomers of [PtCl2(N=C(R)O-N(R3)-C(R1)(R2))2] (1a-6a) exhibit different kinetic labilities, and liberation of the delta 4-1,2,4-oxadiazolines by substitution with 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) in CDCl3 proceeds at different reaction rates to give free N=C(R)O-N(R3)-C(R1)(R2) and [PtCl2(dppe)] in almost quantitative NMR yield. All prepared compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FAB mass spectrometry, and IR and 1H, 13C(1H), and 195Pt (metal complexes) NMR spectroscopies; X-ray structure determination of the first (delta 4-1,2,4-oxadiazoline)Pt(II) complexes was performed for (S,S)/(R,R)-rac-[PtCl2(N=C(Me)O-N(Me)-C(H)Ph)2] (1a) (a = 9.3562(4), b = 9.8046(3), c = 13.1146(5) A; alpha = 76.155(2), beta = 83.421(2), gamma = 73.285(2) degrees; V = 1117.39(7) A3; triclinic, P1, Z = 2), (R,S)-meso-[PtCl2(N=C(Ph)O-N(Me)-C(H)Ph)2] (2a) (a = 8.9689(9), b = 9.1365(5), c = 10.1846(10) A; alpha = 64.328(6), beta = 72.532(4), gamma = 67.744(6) degrees; V = 686.82(11) A3; triclinic, P1, Z = 1), (S,S)/(R,R)-rac-[PtCl2(N=C(Me)O-N(Me)-C(H)(p-C6H4Me))2] (3a) (a = 11.6378(2), b = 19.0767(7), c = 11.5782(4) A; beta = 111.062(2) degrees; V = 2398.76(13) A3; monoclinic, P2(1)/c, Z = 4), and (S,S)/(R,R)-rac-[PtCl2(N=C(Me)O-N(CH2Ph)-C(H)Ph2] (5a) (a = 10.664(2), b = 10.879(2), c = 14.388(3) A; alpha = 73.11(3), beta = 78.30(3), gamma = 88.88(3) degrees; V = 1562.6(6) A3; triclinic, P1, Z = 2).

or Ph(NH 2 )] to give the corresponding iminoacylated product [Ph 3 PCH 2 Ph][PtCl 5 {HN᎐ ᎐ C(Et)ON᎐ ᎐ CR 1 R 2 }]. All compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, FAB mass spectrometry, IR and 1 H, 13 C-{ 1 H}, 31 P-{ 1 H} and 195 Pt NMR spectroscopies. A crystal structure determination of [Ph 3 PCH 2 Ph][PtCl 5 {NH᎐ ᎐ C(Et)ON᎐ ᎐ C(C 9 H 16 )}] disclosed amidine one-end rather than the N,N-bidentate co-ordination mode of the N-donor ligand. The iminoacylation by oximes was investigated by ab initio methods (at RHF level using quasi-relativistic pseudopotentials for platinum) for [PtCl 5 (NCMe)] Ϫ which were also applied to the related neutral platinum() [PtCl 4 (NCMe) 2 ] and platinum() [PtCl 2 (NCMe) 2 ] complexes. The calculations included geometry optimization of the starting and final complexes, location of possible transition states for the reaction discussed and intrinsic reaction coordinate calculations for one reaction. The results obtained provided an interpretation, on the basis of kinetic (activation energies) and thermodynamic (reaction energies) effects, for the order of reactivity observed [neutral Pt IV > anionic Pt IV > neutral Pt II ] and indicated that a mechanism based on nucleophilic addition of the protic nucleophile (undeprotonated oxime), to form a transition state with a four-membered NCOH ring, is energetically favoured relative to the alternative one involving prior deprotonation of the oxime, unless base-catalysed conditions are operating. Scheme 1 Reactions of Pt IV -bound organonitriles with oximes and nitrones.

The reaction of vic-dioximes with the organonitrile platinum(IV) complexes trans-[PtCl4(RCN)2] (R = Me, CH2Ph, Ph, vic-dioxime = dimethylglyoxime; R = Me, vic-dioxime = cyclohexa-, cyclohepta-, and cyclooctanedione dioximes) proceeds rapidly under relatively mild conditions and affords products of one-end addition of the dioximes to the nitrile carbon, i.e. [PtC4(NH=C(R)ON=[spacer]=NOH)2] (1-6) (R = Me, CH2Ph, Ph, spacer = C(Me)C-(Me) for dimethylglyoxime; R = Me, spacer = C[C4H8]C, C[C5H10]C, C[C6H12]C for the other dioximes), giving a novel type of metallaligand. All addition compounds were characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N, C1, Pt), FAB mass spectrometry, and IR and 1H, 13C[1H], and 195Pt NMR spectroscopy. X-ray structure determination of the dimethylformamide bis-solvate [PtCl4(NH=C(Me)ON=C(Me)C(Me)=NOH)2] x 2DMF (la) disclosed its overall trans geometry with the dimethylglyoxime part in anti configuration and the amidine one-end (rather than N,N-bidentate) coordination mode of the N-donor ligands. When a mixture of cis- and trans-[PtC4(MeCN)2] in MeCN was treated with dimethylglyoxime, the formation of, correspondingly, cis- and trans-[PtCl4(NH=C(Me)ON=C(Me)C(Me)=NOH)2] (1) was observed and cis-to-trans isomerization in DMSO-d6 solution was monitored by 1H, 2D [1H,15N] HMQC, and 195Pt NMR spectroscopies. Although performed ab initio calculations give evidence that the trans geometry is the favorable one for the iminoacylated species [PtCl4-(ligand)2], the platinum(IV) complex [PtCl4(NH=C(Me)ON=C[C4Hs]C=NOH)2] (4) was isolated exclusively in cis configuration with the two metallaligand "arms" held together by intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the two peripheral OH groups, as it was proved by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry. The classic substitution products, e.g. [PtC12(N,N-dioximato)2] (12-15), are formed in the addition reaction as only byproducts in minor yield; two of them, [PtCl2(C7H11N2O2)2] (14) and [PtCl2(C8H13N2O2)2] (15), were structurally characterized. Complexes (12-15) were also prepared by reaction of the vic-dioximes with [PtCl4L(Me2SO)] (L = Me2SO, MeCN), but monoximes (Me2C=NOH, [C4H8]C=NOH, [C5H10]C=NOH, PhC(H)=NOH, (OH)C6H4C(H)= NOH) react differently adding to [PtCl4(MeCN)(Me2SO)] to give the corresponding iminoacylated products [PtCl4(NH=C(Me)ON=CRR')(Me2SO)](7-11).