Platinum trans-Bis(borirene) complexes displaying coplanarity and communication across a platinum metal center

Ambient-temperature photolysis of the aminoborylene complex [(OC)5 Cr=B=N(SiMe3 )2 ] in the presence of a series of trans-bis(alkynyl)platinum(II) precursors of the type trans-[Pt(CCAr)2 (PEt3 )2 ] (Ar=Ph, p-C6 H4 OMe, and p-C6 H4 CF3 ) successfully leads to twofold transfer of the borylene moiety [:B=N(SiMe3 )2 ] onto the alkyne functionalities. The alkynyl precursors and resultant bis(borirene)platinum(II) complexes formed are of the type trans-[Pt(B{=N(SiMe3 )2 }C=CAr)2 (PEt3 )2 ] (Ar=Ph, p-C6 H4 OMe, and p-C6 H4 CF3 ). These species have all been successfully characterized by NMR, IR, and UV/Vis spectroscopy as well as by elemental analysis. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction has verified that these trans-bis(borirene)platinum(II) complexes display coplanarity between the twin three-membered rings across the platinum core in the solid state and stand as the first examples of coplanar conformations of twin borirene systems. These complexes were modeled using density functional theory (DFT), providing information helpful in determining the ability of the transition metal core to interact with each individual borirene ring system and allowing for the observed coplanarity of these rings in the solid state. This proposed transition metal interaction with the twin borirene systems is manifested in the electronic characterization of these borirene species, which display divergent photophysical UV/Vis spectroscopic profiles compared to a previously published mono(borirene)platinum(II) complex.