Coordinatively saturated carbene complexes of platinum(II) have been obtained by
oxidative addition of [ClCHNMe2]Cl to Pt(0) precursors. The cationic products of general
formula [PtCl(CHNMe2)(N,N-chelate)(olefin)]Cl have been characterized through NMR
spectroscopy and for [PtCl(CHNMe2)(2,9-Me2-1,10-phen)(Z-MeO2CCHCHCO2Me)]Cl by
X-ray diffractometry. The latter species reacts with nucleophiles affording dimethylformamide
and the corresponding Pt(0) precursor [Pt(2,9-Me2-1,10-phen)(Z-MeO2CCHCHCO2Me)].
Attempts to obtain related complexes containing carbene groups PtCHY without a
heteroatom in α-position (Y = CO2Et, CO2NMe2, CN) have led to the isolation of complexes
of formula [PtR(dmphen){η1,η2-CH(Y)O2CCHCHCO2Me}] (R = Me, Ph), formally derived
from an intramolecular nucleophilic addition to a carbene intermediate. The X-ray structure
of a representative product, [PtMe(dmphen){η1,η2-CH(CO2Et)O2CCHCHCO2Me}], is reported.