Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.45, No.11, 4316-4318, 2006
Unexpected photoisomerization of a pincer-type amido ligand leads to facial coordination at Pt(IV)
The divalent complex (BQA) PtMe undergoes oxidative addition with MeI to afford the octahedral complex cis- (mer-BQA) PtMe2I {(BQA)(-) = bis(8-quinolinyl) amide}. When this molecule is irradiated with visible light, it isomerizes to (fac-BQA) PtMe2I, where the BQA ligand adopts an unexpected facial coordination mode. The amide nitrogen in this molecule is sp(3) hybridized and can be easily quarternized with HBF4, resulting in [H(fac-BQA) PtMe2I][BF4], with only minor perturbation to the coordination sphere.