A dynamic disorderlinked reversible phase transition in a new chloroform solvate of cisdichloridobis(triethylphosphane)platinum(II)

The title compound, cisdichloridobis(triethylphosphane)platinum(II) chloroform monosolvate, [PtCl2(C6H15P) 2]·CHCl3, has been obtained from ligand scrambling in the cis-[PtCl2(Cyp2PCl)(PEt3)] (Cyp = cyclopentyl) system in CHCl3 solvent. Unlike the two previously reported unsolvated polymorphs, which are both monoclinic, the compound crystallizes in an orthorhombic setting. Furthermore, the system exhibits a reversible temperaturedependent structural phase transition, coupling a reduction in anisotropic displacement parameters and a reduction in crystallographic symmetry on cooling. The hightemperature phase adopts space group Pnma with the complex and solvent molecules sitting across a crystallographic mirror plane (Z� = 0.5). The low-temperature phase adopts the space group P212121 with Z� = 1. © 2011 International Union of Crystallography.