Overcrowded organometallic platinum(II) complexes that behave as molecular gears

Dynamic 1H NMR studies on some organometallic platinum(II) compounds reveal a synchronism between rotation around the Pt-P bond and the oscillation of a phenanthroline ligand between two nonequivalent exchanging sites. The system behaves as a molecular-sized analogue of a mechanical gear whose dynamic properties can be tuned through small structural changes.