The cycloplatinated(II) complex [PtMe(phpz)(DMSO)], 1, in which DMSO is dimethylsulphoxide and phpz is 1-phenylpyrazolate was synthesized by reaction of phpzH (1-phenylpyrazole) with the known complex [PtMe 2 (DMSO) 2 ]. The C^N cycloplatinated(II) complexes [PtMe(phpz)(L)], 2, where L = PPh 3 (2a), PPh 2 Me (2b) and P(OPh) 3 (2c), were synthesized by reaction of the complex 1 with the appropriate P donor ligands L. Reaction of the Pt(II) complexes 2 with MeI gave the cycloplatinated(IV) complexes [PtMe 2 I(C^N)(L)], where L = PPh 3 (3a), PPh 2 Me (3b) and P(OPh) 3 (3c). All the complexes were fully characterized using NMR spectroscopy and the Pt(II) complex 2a and the Pt(IV) complex 3a, both containing PPh 3 ligand, were further determined by X-ray crystallography. The cycloplatinated(II) complexes 2 have a metal-to-ligand charge-transfer band, which was used to easily follow the kinetics of their reactions with MeI. Rates of the reactions at different temperatures were measured and the large negative ΔS ‡ values were found in each reaction. The data were consistent with an associative S N 2 mechanism. The reactivity of Pt(II) complexes 2 towards oxidative addition was also theoretically investigated using DFT calculations, which were in agreement with experimental findings.