Amidinato complexes of the platinum metals and an avid carbonyl abstraction reaction

Platinum metal hydrido and trifluoroacetato complexes react with N,N′-diphenylamidines, PhNC(R)NHPh (R = H, Me, Et, Ph), giving the amidinato derivatives Ru{PhNC(R)NPh}2(CO)(PPh3), MX{PhNC(R)NPh}(CO)(PPh3)2 and IrX2{PhNC(R)NPh}(PPh3)2 (M = Ru, Os; X = H, Cl; X2 = H2, Cl2 or HCl). The reactions of RuH2(PPh3)4 and OsH4(PPh3)3 with amidines are accompanied by an avid alcohol decarbonylation reaction to form the carbonyls MH{PhNC(R)NPh}(CO)(PPh3)2.