''trans''-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) is the

trans isomer Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (film ...

of the

coordination complex A coordination complex consists of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ''ligands'' or complexing agents. Many ...

with the formula ''trans''-PtCl₂(NH₃)₂, sometimes called ''transplatin''. It is a yellow solid with low solubility in water but good solubility in DMF. The existence of two isomers of PtCl₂(NH₃)₂ led

Alfred Werner Alfred Werner (12 December 1866 – 15 November 1919) was a Swiss chemist who was a student at ETH Zurich and a professor at the University of Zurich. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1913 for proposing the octahedral configuration of ...

to propose

square planar molecular geometry The square planar molecular geometry in chemistry describes the stereochemistry (spatial arrangement of atoms) that is adopted by certain chemical compounds. As the name suggests, molecules of this geometry have their atoms positioned at the corne ...

. It belongs to the

molecular symmetry Molecular symmetry in chemistry describes the symmetry present in molecules and the classification of these molecules according to their symmetry. Molecular symmetry is a fundamental concept in chemistry, as it can be used to predict or explain m ...

point group D_2h.

Preparation and reactions

The complex is prepared by treating t(NH₃)₄l₂ with

hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...

. Many of the reactions of this complex can be explained by the

trans effect In inorganic chemistry, the trans effect is the increased lability of ligands that are trans to certain other ligands, which can thus be regarded as trans-directing ligands. It is attributed to electronic effects and it is most notable in square pl ...

. It slowly hydrolyzes in aqueous solution to give the mixed

aquo complex In chemistry, metal aquo complexes are coordination compounds containing metal ions with only water as a ligand. These complexes are the predominant species in aqueous solutions of many metal salts, such as metal nitrates, sulfates, and perchlorat ...

''trans''- tCl(H₂O)(NH₃)₂l. Similarly it reacts with

thiourea Thiourea () is an organosulfur compound with the formula and the structure . It is structurally similar to urea (), except that the oxygen atom is replaced by a sulfur atom (as implied by the ''thio-'' prefix); however, the properties of urea ...

(tu) to give colorless ''trans''- t(tu)₂(NH₃)₂l₂. In contrast, the cis isomer gives t(tu)₄l₂.

Oxidative addition Oxidative addition and reductive elimination are two important and related classes of reactions in organometallic chemistry. Oxidative addition is a process that increases both the oxidation state and coordination number of a metal centre. Oxidat ...

of chlorine gives ''trans''-PtCl₄(NH₃)₂.

Medicinal chemistry

''trans''-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) has had far less impact on medicinal chemistry compared to its cis isomer,

cisplatin Cisplatin is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of cancers. These include testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, br ...

, which is a major anticancer drug. Nonetheless, replacement of the ammonia with other ligands has led to highly active drugs that have attracted much attention.

References

{{reflist Ammine complexes Coordination complexes Platinum(II) compounds Chloro complexes Platinum complexes