The synthesis of platinum bisphosphine complexes of biphenyl- 2,2'-dichalcogenates and the oxides of dibenzo[1,2]dithiin and related ligand systems by oxidative addition to [Pt(PPh(3))(4)] is reported. We also describe the synthesis of a new compound, dibenzothiophen-4-yldiselenide and its simple platinum complex (obtained by oxidative addition). All complexes have been fully characterised, principally by using multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and in six cases by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The majority are simple S/S or Se/Se complexes, however the addition of dibenzo[1,2]dithiin trioxide to [Pt(PPh(3))(4)] gives a bimetallic system, [Pt[2-[S(O)],2'-[S(O)(2)]-biphen}(PPh(3))](2), containing a central Pt(2)S(2)O(2) core in which the ligand behaves as a tridentate S,S,O donor.