Oxygen- versus carbon-coordination of the alpha-stabilized phosphorus ylide Ph₃P=C(H)R in palladacycles bearing secondary amines

Abstract

The ortho-metalated complex [Pd(x){κ ²(C,N)-[C₆H₄CH₂NRR′ (Y)}] (2a–4a and 2b–3b) was prepared by refluxing in benzene equimolecular amounts of Pd(OAc)₂ and secondary benzylamine [a, EtNHCH₂Ph; b, t-BuNHCH₂Ph followed by addition of excess NaCl. The reaction of the complexes [Pd(x){κ ²(C,N)-[C₆H₄CH₂NRR′ (Y)}] (2a–4a and 2b–3b) with a stoichiometric amount of Ph₃P=C(H)COC₆H₄-4-Z (Z = Br, Ph) (ZBPPY) (1:1 molar ratio), in THF at low temperature, gives the cationic derivatives [Pd(OC(Z-4-C₆H₄C=CHPPh₃){κ ²(C,N)-[C₆H₄CH₂NRR′(Y)}] (5a–9a, 4b–6b, and 4b′–6b′), in which the ylide ligand is O-coordinated to the Pd(II) center and trans to the ortho-metalated C(6)H(4) group, in an “end-on carbonyl”. Ortho-metallation, ylide O-coordination, and C-coordination in complexes (5a–9a, 4b–6b, and 4b′–6b′) were characterized by elemental analysis as well as various spectroscopic techniques.