2-(Azidomethyl)phenyl isocyanide, 2-(CH
2N
3)C
6H
4N
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C (AziNC), coordinates to some cationic
Pt(II) and Pd(II) species to afford isocyanide complexes of the type
trans-[MCl(AziNC)(PPh
3)
2][BF
4] (M=Pt,
l; Pd,
2). AziNC is coordinated also in some neutral Pt(II) and Pd(II) species such as [MCl
2(AziNC)
2] (M=Pt,
3; Pd,
4) derived from the reactions of 2 equiv. of AziNC with [PtCl
2(COD)] and [PdCl
2(MeCN)
2], respectively. Complexes
1 and
2 react with 1 equiv. of PPh
3 affording the heterocyclic carbene complexes
trans-[MCl{<inline-fig BASELINE=""0.0""><link locator=""fx10""></inline-fig>(H)}(PPh
3)
2][BF
4] (M=Pt,
5; Pd,
6). Complexes
3 and
4 react with 1 equiv. of PPh
3 displacing the isocyanide with the formation of the complexes
cis-[MCl
2(AziNC)(PPh
3)] (M=Pt,
7; Pd,
8). These latter ones react with 2 equiv. of PPh
3 affording as the final products the cationic carbene species
trans-[MCl{<inline-fig BASELINE=""0.0""><link locator=""fx10""></inline-fig>(H)}(PPh
3)
2][Cl] (M=Pt,
9; Pd,
10). Complex
5 was also characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The carbene complex is square-planar and the angle formed between the platinum square plane and the heterocyclic carbene ligand is 87.9(2)°. The C(1)–N(1) and C(1)–N(2) bond distances in the latter of 1.32(2) and 1.30(2) Å, respectively, are short for a single bond and indicate extensive π-bonding between the nitrogen atoms and the carbene carbon.