Protonolysis of the complexes
cis-[PtR
2(PEt
3)
2](R = Me, Et, Pr
n, Bu
n,CH
2C(Me)
3,CH
2Si(Me)
3)
andcis-[Pt(R)(R')(PEt
3)
2] (R = Ph,2-MeC
6H
4,2,4,6-Me
3C
6H
2; R' = Me) inmethanol selectively cleaves one alkyl group,yielding
cis-[Pt(R)(PEt
3)
2(MeOH)]
+and alkanes. The reactions occur as single-stage conversions fromthe substrateto the product. There is no evidence by UV
and by low-temperature
1H
and 31P NMR spectroscopy forthepresence of significant amounts of Pt(II) or Pt(IV)intermediate species. Reactions are first order with respecttocomplex
and proton concentrations
and are strongly retarded by stericcongestion at the Pt-C bond, varyingfrom
k2 = (2.65 ± 0.08) × 10
5M
-1 s
-1 for R =R' = Et to
k2 = 9.80 ± 0.44M
-1s
-1 for R =R'= CH
2Si(Me)
3.Low enthalpies of activation
and largely negative volumes ofactivation are associated with the process. Themechanism involves a rate-determining proton transfer either to themetal-carbon
bond (S
E2 mechanism) or tothe metal center (S
E(oxidative) mechanism), followedby fast extrusion of the alkane
and simultaneous blockingof the vacant coordination site by the solvent to generate
cis-[Pt(R)(PEt
3)
2(MeOH)]
+species. The subsequentslower process,
cis to
trans isomerization of
cis-[Pt(R)(PEt
3)
2(MeOH)]
+,is characterized by high values of enthalpiesof activation, positive entropies of activation,
and largely positivevolumes of activation. The reaction is shownto proceed through the dissociative loss of the weakly bonded moleculeof solvent
and the interconversion of twogeometrically distinct T-shaped 14-electron 3-coordinate intermediates.The presence of
-hydrogens on theresidual alkyl chain produces a great acceleration of the rate (R =Me,
ki = 0.0026 s
-1;R = Et,
ki = 44.9s
-1)as a consequence of the stabilization of the 3-coordinate[Pt(R)(PEt
3)
2]
+transition state through an incipientagostic interaction. The results of this work, together with thoseof a previous paper, give a rationale of the"elusive" nature of these compounds. The following factorsconcur: (i) electron release by the phosphine lig
ands,(ii) steric repulsion
and distortion of the square-planarconfiguration,
and (iii) interaction of the metal with
-hydrogens.