AIC60800Strans-Pt(CdH),L,, I, reacts with anhydrous HCl(1 equiv) in the solvents CDCI, and CD2CI2 to give trans-RC1(C=CH)L2, V, and acetylene by way of a sequence of reactions involving trans-Pt(C=CH)(CC1=CH2)L2, 11, trat~s-Pt(CCl=CH,)~L~, 111, and trans-PtC1(CC1=CH2)L2, IV, where L = PMezPh. I and 111 exist in equilibrium with 11: 211 e I + 111, K N 1. ~~~~S -P~( C C I = C H~)~L~, 111, decomposes slowly, both in solution and in the melt, to give trans-PtC1(CC1=CH2)L2, IV, and acetylene. These reactions involve platinum(I1)-promoted HC1 addition-elimination processes. I11 and IV react with the tertiary amines Me,N and proton sponge to give I and V, respectively. The rates of elimination of HC1 from 11-IV in benzene are approximately zeroth order in base concentration and show an isotope ratio kH/kD E 3. The rate of HC1 elimination from the CC1=CH2 moiety is greatly dependent on the solvent, c6H~N02 > CDC1, -CD2C12 >> C6D6 -CC14, and is dependent on the nature of the [XPt] moiety to which it is bound: PtCSCH -PtCCI=CH, > PtCl >> Pt+C(Me)OMe. Elimination of HCI from the chlorovinyl ligands PtCCl=C(D(H))H(D) proceeds with no apparent stereochemical preference; elimination of HCI from PtCCl=C(Me(H))H(Me) occurs preferentially from the trans-PtC=CH isomer. trans-Pt(CC1=CH2)2L2 reacts with MeOD to give trans-[Pt(CC1=CH2)(C(CD3)OMe)Lz]+ which has been isolated as a hexafluorophosphate salt. A stepwise addition-elimination sequence involving the platinum-stabilized vinyl cation PtC+=CH2 is proposed to account for all of these observations t Pt-CXH, ZPt-C=CH, ZPt-CGCH + HCl I c1 c1-The molecular structure of 111 deduced from x-ray studies reveals a long vinylic C-CI bond distance, 1.809 (6) A, and a large Pt-C-C angle, 133.5'. The decomposition of 111 to give IV and acetylene occurs much faster in CDzClz and CDC13 than in benzene. The reaction 111 -IV + HCsCH is slow relative to HCl elimination from 111, irrespective of the solvent.A mixture of I11 and 111-d4 decomposes in the melt and in solution to give a mixture of acetylenedo, -dl, and -d2. An isotope ratio kH/kD N 1.9 has been found for the reaction I11 -IV + acetylene. A number of mechanisms which could yield acetylene in the above reaction are discussed. These findings are compared to solvolysis and elimination reactions of aryl-substituted vinyl compounds, Ar(X)C=CH2, where X = CI, Br, or CF3S03. Platinum(f1) is thus shown to greatly activate the a-coordinated unsaturated organic ligand.