Electronic and steric impact of bis-NHC ligands on reactions of PtS cores in trinuclear complexes bearing bis-NHC ligands with various lengths of alkylene bridges

Alkylene-bridged bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligands working as strong σ-donors enhance the reactivity of the Pt 3 S 2 core in a triplatinum complex. Although an Ag( i ) ion possibly reacts with the Pt-Pt bond, one of the sulfide ligands coordinates to an Ag( i ) ion due to the steric hindrance of the ligands. A silver( i ) ion attacks the sulfide ligand of a triplatinum complex bearing ethylene-bridged bis-NHC ligands to afford a heptanuclear complex with two Ag-S bonds due to the steric hindrance of the ligands covering the Pt-Pt bonds.