Trichloro(Dinitrogen)Platinate(II)

Zeise's salt, [PtCl3(H2C=CH2)]−, is the oldest known organometallic complex, featuring ethylene strongly bound to a platinum salt. Many derivatives are known, but none involving dinitrogen, and indeed dinitrogen complexes are unknown for both platinum and palladium. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of K2[PtCl4] solutions generate strong ions corresponding to [PtCl3(N2)]−, the identity of which was confirmed through ion-mobility spectrometry and MS/MS experiments that proved it to be distinct from its isobaric counterparts [PtCl3(C2H4)]− and [PtCl3(CO)]−. Computational analysis established a gas-phase platinum–dinitrogen bond strength of 116 kJ mol−1, substantially weaker than the ethylene and carbon monoxide analogues but stronger than for polar solvents such as water, methanol and dimethylformamide, and strong enough that the calculated N−N bond length of 1.119 Å represents weakening to a degree typical of isolated dinitrogen complexes.