Platinum(0)–[60]fullerene complexes with chelating diphosphine ligands. Syntheses and characterisation of [Pt(η2-C60)(L–L)] [L–L = Ph2P(CH2) nPPh2, n = 2 or 3]

Reaction of [60]fullerene with [Pt(cod) 2 ] (cod = cycloocta-1,5-diene) resulted in facile displacement of the cod ligand to form black-brown insoluble PtC 60 . The reaction of a tetrahydrofuran suspension of PtC 60 with bidentate diphosphines L–L = Ph 2 P(CH 2 ) n PPh 2 (n = 2 or 3) gave rise to cleavage of the carbon–platinum bond and formation of the [Pt(η 2 -C 60 )(L–L)] complexes, which were characterised spectroscopically. The latter complexes can also be readily prepared in a one-pot synthesis by slowly adding an equimolar amount of [Pt(cod) 2 ] to a solution of [60]fullerene and the corresponding diphosphine in toluene.