Reaction of [MCl2(CH3CN)2] (M = Pd(II), Pt(II)) compounds with N1-alkylpyridylpyrazole-derived ligands

Palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes with N-alkylpyridylpyrazole-derived ligands, 2-(1-ethyl-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (L1) and 2-(1-octyl-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (L2), cis-[MCl2(L)] (M = Pd(II), Pt(II)), have been synthesised. Treatment of [PdCl2(L)] (L = L1, L2) with excess of ligand (L1, L2), pyridine (py) or triphenylphosphine (PPh3) in the presence of AgBF4 and NaBPh4 produced the following complexes: [Pd(L)2](BPh4)2, [Pd(L)(py)2](BPh4)2 and [Pd(L)(PPh3)2](BPh4)2. All complexes have been characterised by elemental analyses, conductivity, IR and NMR spectroscopies. The crystal structures of cis-[PdCl2(L2)] (2) and cis-[PtCl2(L1)] (3) were determined by a single crystal X-ray diffraction method. In both complexes, the metal atom is coordinated by one pyrazole nitrogen, one pyridine nitrogen and two chlorine atoms in a distorted square-planar geometry. In complex 3, π–π stacking between pairs of molecules is observed.