The correct IUPAC name of [PtBr2(PMe3)2] is:
Coordination Compounds · Class 12 · JEE Main Previous Year Question
The correct IUPAC name of is:
- a
dibromodi(trimethylphosphine)platinum(II)
- b
bis(trimethylphosphine)dibromoplatinum(II)
- c✓
dibromobis(trimethylphosphine)platinum(II)
- d
bis[bromo(trimethylphosphine)]platinum(II)
dibromobis(trimethylphosphine)platinum(II)
🧠 Three Naming Decisions
IUPAC-name questions for neutral complexes test three things at once:
- Alphabetical order of ligand names (ignore multiplying prefixes).
- Multiplier choice — di/tri/tetra for simple ligands, bis/tris/tetrakis for complex/composite ligand names.
- Oxidation state in Roman numerals.
🗺️ Apply to
Ligands & alphabetical order. "Bromo" (B) comes before "(trimethyl)phosphine" (P, alphabetised by 't' or 'p'? — by first letter of the ligand stem, which is 't' for trimethylphosphine). Either way, bromo first. ✓
Multipliers.
- 2 × bromo → "dibromo" (simple ligand → di-).
- 2 × trimethylphosphine → "bis(trimethylphosphine)" (composite name → bis- to avoid confusion with "ditrimethyl-").
Oxidation state. . So Pt(II).
Combine: dibromobis(trimethylphosphine)platinum(II).
⚡ The "Bis vs Di" Decision Tree
Use bis/tris/tetrakis whenever:
- The ligand name itself contains a numerical prefix (di, tri, etc.) — e.g. ethylenediamine, trimethylphosphine.
- Or the ligand name has multiple words / is enclosed in brackets.
Use di/tri/tetra for simple, single-word ligands (bromo, chloro, ammine, aqua).
⚠️ The Oxidation-State Drop
Option (4) writes "bis[bromo(trimethylphosphine)]platinum(II)" — totally wrong syntax (you don't bracket two different ligands together). Always pair multipliers with one ligand at a time.
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