Formation of Metallacyclic Complexes by Activation of an Aryl C−H Bond in a Platinum−Safrole Analogue of Zeiseʼs Salt

Potassium trichloro(safrole)platinate(II), K[Pt(Saf)Cl3] (1), reacts with piperidine to give cis-[Pt(Saf-1H)(Piperidine)Cl] (2). The interaction of 1 with AgNO3, SnCl2, KOH, and ethanol−water solutions leads to formation of the dinuclear chelate ring complex [Pt2(Saf-1H)2Cl2] (3). 1H and 13C NMR spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction show that in complexes 2 and 3 deprotonated safrole is bound up with platinum(II) both at a benzene carbon and at the ethylenic double bond of the side chain.