Spectroscopy and photochemical reactivity of cyclooctadiene platinum complexes

The spectroscopic and photochemical properties of a series of 1,5-cyclooctadiene platinum complexes of the type [(COD)Pt(R)2] (R=alkyl, alkynyl, or aryl) were examined. The observed photoreactivity is wavelength dependent and observed reaction rates correlate with the donor-strength of the R group. For strongly donating substituents like adamantylmethyl, benzyl or iso-propyl rates were increased by factors of about 100 for a given model reaction compared to the dimethyl derivative. The products were determined by NMR spectroscopy. Different reaction pathways were found depending on the substituents R. Theoretical calculations (DFT) on the electronic structure revealed the character of optical transitions and excited states.