Iminoacylation. 1. Addition of Ketoximes or Aldoximes to Platinum(IV)-Bound Organonitriles

The metal-mediated iminoacylation reaction of ketoximes or aldoximes upon treatment with the organonitrile platinum(IV) complexes trans-[PtCl(4)(RCN)(2)] proceeds under relatively mild conditions in acetonitrile (R = Me) or in chloroform (R = CH(2)Ph, Ph) to give trans-[PtCl(4)(NH=C(R)ON=CR(1)R(2))(2)] (R(1) = R(2) = Me; R(1)R(2) = C(4)H(8), R(1)R(2) = C(5)H(10), R(1)R(2) = (H)Ph, R(1)R(2) = (H)C(6)H(4)(OH)-o; 1-14) in 90-95% yield. All these compounds were characterized by elemental analyses (C, H, N, Cl, Pt), FAB mass spectrometry, and IR and (1)H, (13)C{(1)H}, and (195)Pt NMR spectroscopies. X-ray structure determinations of [PtCl(4)(NH=C(Me)ON=CMe(2))(2)] (1) and [PtCl(4){NH=C(Me)ON=C(C(5)H(10))}(2)] (3) disclosed their overall trans-configuration and the amidine one-end rather than N,N-bidentate coordination mode of the N-donor ligands. The iminoacyl species are in E-conformation which is held by a rather weak N-H.N hydrogen bond between the amidine =NH atom and the oxime nitrogen with the following observed distances and angles for 1 and [3]: N(1).N(2), and N(1)-H, N(1)H.N(2) are 2.605 [2.592], 0.74 [0.71], and 2.20 [2.25] Å; N(1)-H.N(2) is 115 degrees [111 degrees ]. No evidence of the Z-conformation in solution was obtained by NMR spectroscopy. Compounds trans-[PtCl(4)(NH=C(R)ON=CR(1)R(2))(2)] are unexpectedly stable toward hydrolysis both in the solid state and in solutions.