Synthesis, Structure, and Optical Properties of Pt(II) and Pd(II) Complexes with Oxazolyl- and Pyridyl-Functionalized DPPM-Type Ligands: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study Shuanming Zhang, Roberto Pattacini, Pierre Braunstein,* , Luisa De Cola,* , Edward Plummer, Matteo Mauro, ,§ Christophe Gourlaouen, and Chantal Daniel* , Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, Institut de Chimie (UMR 7177 CNRS/UdS), Universite ́ de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, F-67081 Strasbourg, France Laboratoire de Chimie et des Biomate ́ riaux Supramole ́ culaires ISIS, 8 rue Gaspard Monge, BP 70028, F-67083 Strasbourg Cedex, France § University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS), 5 allé e du Ge ́ ne ́ ral Rouvillois, 67083 Strasbourg, France Laboratoire de Chimie Quantique, Institut de Chimie (UMR 7177 CNRS/UdS), Universite ́ de Strasbourg, 1 rue Blaise Pascal, BP 296/R8, F-67008 Strasbourg Cedex, France * S Supporting Information ABSTRACT: New square-planar complexes [Pt(1 H ) 2 ](2a) [1 H = (oxazolin-2-yl)bis(diphenylphosphino)methanide] and [Pd(1 H ) 2 ](2b), of general formula [M{(Ph 2 P) 2 C --- C ---NCH 2 CH 2 O } 2 ] (M = Pt, 2a; M = Pd, 2b), result from deprotonation of 2-{bis(diphenylphosphino)methyl}oxazoline (1) at the PCHP site. The new, functionalized dppm-type ligand 4-{bis(diphenylphosphino)methyl}pyridine, (Ph 2 P) 2 CH(4-C 5 H 4 N) (4), was prepared by double lithiation and phosphorylation of 4-picoline. In the presence of NEt 3 , the reactions of 2 equiv of 4 with [PtCl 2 (NCPh) 2 ] and [Pd(acac) 2 ] (acac = acetylacetonate) aorded [Pt(4 H ) 2 ](5a)[4 H = bis(diphenylphosphino)(pyridin-4-yl)methanide] and [Pd(4 H ) 2 ](5b), of general formula [M{(Ph 2 P) 2 C(4-C 5 H 4 N)} 2 ] (M = Pt, 5a; M = Pd, 5b), respectively. In the absence of base, the reactions of 2 equiv of 4 with [PtCl 2 (NCPh) 2 ] and [PdCl 2 (NCPh) 2 ]aorded (5a·2HCl) (6a) and (5b·2HCl) (6b), respectively, in which the PCHP proton of 4 has migrated from carbon to nitrogen to give a pyridinium derivative of general formula [M{(Ph 2 P) 2 C(4-C 5 H 4 NH)} 2 ]Cl 2 (M = Pt, 6a; M = Pd, 6b). The complexes 3a, 5a·2MeOH, and 6b·4CH 2 Cl 2 have been structurally characterized by X-ray diraction. The absorption/emission properties of the Pt(II) complexes 2a and 5a and the Pd(II) complexes 2b and 5b have been investigated by UVvis spectroscopy and theoretical analysis based on density functional theory. The UVvis absorption spectra of the neutral complexes recorded in dilute N,N-dimethylformamide solutions are dominated by intense spin-allowed intraligand transitions in the region below 350 nm. The complexes exhibit charge-transfer bands between 350 and 500 nm. The experimental and theoretical absorption spectra agree qualitatively and point to two low-lying ligand-to-metal charge transfer states that contribute to the bands observed between 350 and 500 nm. The complexes are emissive in frozen solutions at 77 K, in the pure solid state, and when doped into lms of poly(methyl methacrylate) but are nonemissive in solution. A red shift is observed when Pt(II) is replaced by Pd(II). INTRODUCTION The synthesis and study of heterotopic ligands bearing phosphorus and nitrogen donor atoms represent increasingly active elds of research because of the sometimes unexpected structural features associated with their metal complexes and the often unique properties of the latter, in particular for stoichiometric or catalytic transformations, that originate from the dierent stereoelectronic properties of the P and N donor groups. 1,2 Because of our combined interest in the synthesis and applications of such P,N ligands in coordination chemistry and catalysis 24 and in short-bite diphosphine ligands such as bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, Ph 2 PCH 2 PPh 2 (dppm), bis(diphenylphosphino)amine, Ph 2 PNHPPh 2 (dppa), and their derivatives, which are well-known for their ability to stabilize di- or polynuclear complexes and clusters 5 and allow, e.g., their anchoring inside nanoporous membranes, 6 we decided to introduce an oxazoline moiety as a substituent on the PCP carbon of the dppm ligand. 3 The coordination behavior of 2-{bis(diphenylphosphino)- methyl}oxazoline, (Ph 2 P) 2 CHC NCH 2 CH 2 O (1) (Scheme 1), has barely been examined. 4 Received: July 4, 2014 Published: November 24, 2014 Article pubs.acs.org/IC © 2014 American Chemical Society 12739 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ic501566u | Inorg. Chem. 2014, 53, 1273912756