The preparation of thiolato bridged platinum dimers; the crystal and molecular structure of cis-μμ′-bis(phenylmethanethiolato)bis(phenylmethanethiolatomethyldiphenylphos- phineplatinum(II)), cis-[(PMePh2)Pt(SCH2Ph)(μ-SCH2Ph)]2
Fusion invacuo of complexes of the type P2Pt(SR)2 is a facile route to dimers of the type [PPt(SR)(μ-SR)]2; thus, the compounds cis-P2Pt(SR)2, where P = PPh3, PMePh2, R = CH2Ph and trans-P2Pt(SR)2, where P = PPh3, PMePh2, PMe2Ph, R = 4-C6H4CH3 gave the appropriate dimers 1–5. A three-dimensional X-ray structure analysis of the complex [(PMePh2)Pt(SCH2Ph)(μ-SCH2Ph)]2, 2, has shown that it has cis geometry with the benzyl groups of the bridging thiolato ligands oriented anti with respect to each other. The dihedral angle between the two square planes is 138.8°. Crystals of 2 are triclinic, space group [Formula: see text], with two molecules in a cell of dimensions a = 10.856(3) Å, b = 19.935(5) Å, c = 12.202(4) Å, α = 82.52(2)°, β = 105.18(2)°, and γ = 92.35(2)°. Full-matrix least-squares refinement converged at R = 0.052.