N,N-Dialkylimidazolium Chloroplatinate(II), Chloroplatinate(IV), and Chloroiridate(IV) Salts and an N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex of Platinum(II): Synthesis in Ionic Liquids and Crystal Structures Masihul Hasan, Ivan V. Kozhevnikov,* M. Rafiq H. Siddiqui, Cristina Femoni, ² Alexander Steiner, ² and Neil Winterton Leverhulme Centre for Innovative Catalysis, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K. ReceiVed June 6, 2000 The first imidazole-type carbene complex of platinum(II), cis-(C 2 H 4 )(1-ethyl-3-methylimidazol-2-ylidene)PtCl 2 , has been obtained by reacting PtCl 2 and PtCl 4 with ethylene in the basic [EMIM]Cl/AlCl 3 (1.3:1) ionic liquid (where [EMIM] + ) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium) at 200 °C and structurally characterized (monoclinic P2 1 /c space group, a ) 10.416(2) Å, b ) 7.3421(9) Å, c ) 15.613(2) Å, ) 101.53(2) o , Z ) 4). This complex can be regarded as a stable analogue of the π-alkene-Pd(II)-carbene intermediate in the Heck reaction. In addition, a series of new N,N-dialkylimidazolium salts of platinum group metals of the type [RMIM] 2 [MCl n ], where [RMIM + ] ) 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium and M ) Pt(II), Pt(IV), or Ir(IV), have been prepared and characterized. The salts [EMIM] 2 [PtCl 6 ](1) and [EMIM] 2 [PtCl 4 ](2) were prepared in the ionic liquid [EMIM]Cl/AlCl 3 and the salts [BMIM] 2 [PtCl 4 ](3) and [BMIM] 2 [PtCl 6 ](4) (where [BMIM] + ) 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium) and [EMIM] 2 - [IrCl 6 ](5) in aqueous or acetonitrile media. From TGA measurements, salts 1-5 decompose in air in several steps eventually to form the corresponding metal, the onset of decomposition being observed at (°C) 260 (1), 220 (2), 200 (3), 215 (4), and 210 (5). The structures of 1, 2, and 5 were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The three salts crystallize in the monoclinic P2 1 /n space group (1, a ) 7.6433(9) Å, b ) 16.353(2) Å, c ) 9.213(1) Å, ) 113.56(1) o , Z ) 2; 2, a ) 8.601(1) Å, b ) 8.095(2) Å, c ) 13.977(2) Å, ) 91.75(2) o , Z ) 2; 5, a ) 10.353(2) Å, b ) 9.759(2) Å, c ) 10.371(2) Å, ) 92.98(3) o , Z ) 2). Introduction Ambient temperature molten salts (ionic liquids) with very low vapor pressure, especially those comprising mixtures of N,N-dialkylimidazolium (e.g., 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium, [EMIM] + , and 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, [BMIM] + ) chlo- ride and aluminum chloride, are increasingly finding a range of laboratory, developmental, and technical applications, for example, as media for organic and inorganic chemical synthesis, in materials production, in electrochemical and separation processes, and as prototype novel materials. 1-3 Much current research is focused upon the possible use of ionic liquids as media for cleaner organic synthesis and processing 4 and upon better understanding of liquid structure and solvation phenomena of ionic liquids and its relevance to reactivity. 2,5,6 Ionic liquids containing transition-metal complexes, especially platinum group metal complexes, are of great interest regarding their potential catalytic applications. 4 However, relatively few studies have explored the use of ionic liquids for the purposeful synthesis and characterization of coordination complexes since Hussey reviewed the chemistry of transition-metal halide complexes in chloroaluminate ionic liquids over 10 years ago. 2c Several reports have apppeared describing spectrochemical and electrochemical investigations of transition-metal complexes in solution in these media 5 and structural characterization in the solid state. 6,7 Recently ionic liquids have been used as media for the preparation of some halometalate complexes and clusters. 8 We ourselves have described the synthesis, thermo- stability, and single-crystal X-ray structure of two salts, [EMIM]- [AuCl 4 ] and [BMIM][AuCl 4 ]. 8j No attempt, however, has been made so far to study Pt(II) and Pt(IV) complexes in ionic liquids. ² Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown St., Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K. (1) (a) Wilkes, J. 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