Platinum Stacking Interactions in Homoleptic Platinum Polymers

Recent breakthroughs in low-dimensional nanostructures have led to a renewal of interest in polymers composed of platinum complexes. The surge of research into one-dimensional platinum complexes in the 1970s and 1980s has given way to a steady progression of investigations that have explored new ligands, characterization techniques and applications. The ongoing synthesis and characterization of new tetra(cyano)platinate, bis(oxalato)platinate and other homoleptic platinum complexes has allowed examination of the influence of organic and inorganic cations on the Pt-Pt distance and the importance of small molecules in stabilizing the stacking interactions. In particular, complexes of [Pt(C equivalent to NR)(4)](2+) and [Pt-I(bipy)(2)](+) show potential to display short stacking interactions. This microreview focuses on the progress in the synthesis and characterization of homoleptic complexes with short Pt-Pt distances and avenues for the development of new classes of complexes. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)