2/10/2012 - Synthesis of Zeise's Salt

     The next advancement in organometallic chemistry didn't happen until 1827 by a Danish chemist by the name William Christopher Zeise in Copenhagen.  When this compound was first synthesized, chemists were baffled on what the molecular structure of this grand molecule was. It wasn't until recently that it was determined to be a square planar complex where the ethylene molecule coordinated to the Platinum in a η² fashion (meaning that it was the bond of the ethylene that was bonding).  The synthesis happened when Zeise was PtCl₄ being boiled in ethanol to create the final salt of K[PtCl₃(η²-C₂H₂)]-H₂O.