Multiply “trapped” 3 [ trans -Pt(PR 3 ) 2 (CCC 6 H 4 X) 2 ] conformers in rigid media

The complexes (R = Me, Et, Bu; X = H, SMe) exhibit well-defined multi-exponential emissions (2–4 components) in the solid state at 77 and 298 K and in 2MeTHF glasses at 77 K due to multiple frozen conformers exhibiting variable dihedral angles formed by the PtP 2 C 2 and C 6 H 4 planes. The demonstration was made using X-ray crystallography at various temperatures where different sites are present in the samples, and using geometry optimization (DFT computations) where various stable conformers are noted.