Insertion of Elemental Sulfur and SO2 into the Metal-Hydride and Metal-Carbon Bonds of Platinum Compounds

Elemental sulfur (S8) has been found to insert only one sulfur atom into the metal-hydride bonds of the platinum alkyl and aryl hydride complexes [(dcpe)PtRH] (dcpe ) Cy2PC2H4- PCy2). Unlike the parent compounds, the S-inserted complexes do not undergo reductive elimination to form the corresponding alkane- or arenethiols. Methane is lost from the methyl sulfhydryl complex. Sulfur dioxide was also found to insert into a platinum-methyl bond to form the corresponding S-bound sulfinate, which upon reacting with mineral acids generates methylsulfinic acid.