The syntheses of a range of platinum(II) and palladium(II) complexes containing salicylhydroxamate ligands are described. The ancillary ligands, together with the synthetic route, influence the coordination mode of the salicylhydroxamate ligand. Reaction of cis-[PtCl2(PPh3)2] with salicylhydroxamic acid and trimethylamine in hot methanol gave O,O′-bonded [Pt{OC(![[double bond, length as m-dash]](http://www.rsc.org/images/entities/char_e001.gif)
NO)C6H4OH}(PPh3)2], but [PtCl2(cod)] (cod = cycloocta-1,5-diene) gave N,O-bonded [Pt{OC6H4C(O)NOH}(cod)]. Ligand substitution gives other N,O bonded complexes, including [Pt{OC6H4C(O)NOH}(PPh3)2]. Reaction of K2PtCl4 with 2 equiv. of EPh3 (E = As or Sb), salicylhydroxamic acid and excess trimethylamine gives products whose structures depend on E; AsPh3 gives [Pt{OC(NO)C6H4OH}(AsPh3)2], while SbPh3 gives [Pt{OC6H4C(O)NOH}(SbPh3)2].
