(4,4'-DIMETHYL-2,2'-BIPYRIDYL-N,N')BIS(ISOCYANATO)PLATINUM(II)

[Pt(NCO)2(C12H12N2)], M(r) = 463.37, orthorhombic, Cmc2(1), a = 18.722 (6), b = 11.889 (5), c = 6.688 (5) angstrom, V = 1488.7 (9) angstrom 3, Z = 4, D(x) = 2.067 g cm-3, lambda-(Mo K-alpha) = 0.71069 angstrom, mu = 90.59 cm-1, F(000) = 864, T = 291 (1) K, R = 0.052 for 735 reflections with F greater-than-or-equal-to 6-sigma-F. The structure consists of square-planar coordinated Pt atoms, surrounded by four N atoms; of these, two belong to the bidentate bipyridyl ligand and two belong to the two pseudohalide groups which occupy cis positions. The bite angle of the bipyridyl ligand is 82.3 (9)-degrees, significantly larger than the value reported earlier for the unsubstituted bipyridyl ligand, 76 (2)-degrees. The metal atom is displaced 0.10 (5) angstrom below the plane of the four N atoms. The non-bonding Pt-Pt distance is 0.258 (5) angstrom longer in the title compound than in the unsubstituted ligand complex, leading to significant differences in the chemical and spectroscopic properties of the two homologues.