A DFT study of R-R reductive elimination (R = Me, Ph, vinyl) in plausible intermediates of Pd-catalyzed processes is reported. These include the square-planar tetracoordinated systems cis-[PdR(2)(PMe(3))(2)] themselves, possible intermediates cis-[PdR(2)(PMe(3))L] formed in solution or upon addition of coupling promoters (L = acetonitrile, ethylene, maleic anhydride (ma)), and tricoordinated intermediates cis-[PdR(2)(PMe(3))] (represented as L = empty). The activation energy ranges from 0.6 to 28.6 kcal/mol in the gas phase, increasing in the order vinyl-vinyl < Ph-Ph < Me-Me, depending on R, and ma < "empty" < ethylene < PMe(3) approximately MeCN, depending on L. The effect of added olefins was studied for a series of olefins, providing the following order of activation energy: p-benzoquinone < ma < trans-1,2-dicyanoethylene < 3,5-dimethylcyclopent-1-ene < 2,5-dihydrofuran < ethylene < trans-2-butene. Comparison of the calculated energies with experimental data for the coupling of cis-[PdMe(2)(PPh(3))(2)] in the presence of additives (PPh(3), p-benzoquinone, ma, trans-1,2-dicyanoethylene, 2,5-dihydrofuran, and 1-hexene) reveals that: (1) There is no universal coupling mechanism. (2) The coupling mechanism calculated for cis-[PdMe(2)(PMe(3))(2)] is direct, but PPh(3) retards the coupling for cis-[PdMe(2)(PPh(3))(2)], and DFT calculations support a switch of the coupling mechanism to dissociative for PPh(3). (3) Additives that would provide intermediates with coupling activation energies higher than a dissociative mechanism (e.g., common olefins) produce no effect on coupling. (4) Olefins with electron-withdrawing substituents facilitate the coupling through cis-[PdMe(2)(PR(3))(olefin)] intermediates with much lower activation energies than the starting complex or a tricoordinated intermediate. Practical consequences are discussed.

Bimetallic catalysis refers to homogeneous processes in which either two transition metals (TM), or one TM and one Group 11 (G11) element (occasionally Hg also), cooperate in a synthetic process (often a C-C coupling) and their actions are connected by a transmetalation step. This is an emerging research area that differs from the isolated or tandem applications of the now classic processes (Stille, Negishi, Suzuki, Hiyama, Heck). Most of the reactions used so far combine Pd with a second metal, often Cu or Au, but syntheses involving very different TM couples (e.g., Cr/Ni in the catalyzed vinylation of aldehydes) have also been developed. Further development of the topic will soon demand a good knowledge of the mechanisms involved in bimetallic catalysis, but this knowledge is very limited for catalytic processes. However, there is much information available, dispersed in the literature, coming from basic research on exchange reactions occurring out of any catalytic cycle, in polynuclear complexes. These are essentially the same processes expected to operate in the heart of the catalytic process. This Review gathers together these two usually isolated topics in order to stimulate synergy between the bimetallic research coming from more basic organometallic studies and the more synthetic organic approaches to this chemistry.

This report describes a combined experimental and computational investigation of the mechanism of C(sp(3))-N bond-forming reductive elimination from sulfonamide-ligated Pd(IV) complexes. After an initial experimental assessment of reactivity, we used ZStruct, a computational combinatorial reaction finding method, to analyze a large number of multistep mechanisms for this process. This study reveals two facile isomerization pathways connecting the experimentally observed Pd(IV) isomers, along with two competing SN2 pathways for C(sp(3))-N coupling. One of these pathways involves an unanticipated oxygen-nitrogen exchange of the sulfonamide ligand prior to an inner-sphere SN2-type reductive elimination. The calculated ΔG(⧧) values for isomerization and reductive elimination with a series of sulfonamide derivatives are in good agreement with experimental data. Furthermore, the simulations predict relative reaction rates with different sulfonamides, which is successful only after considering competition between the proposed operating mechanisms. Overall, this work shows that the combination of experimental studies and new computational tools can provide fundamental mechanistic insights into complex organometallic reaction pathways.

This communication describes the design of a model system that allows direct investigation of competing sp(3)-C-N and sp(3)-C-F bond-forming reductive elimination from a Pd(IV) fluoro sulfonamide complex. The reductive elimination selectivity varies dramatically as a function of reaction additives. A mechanism is proposed that provides a rationale for these effects.

This article describes an investigation of C(sp(3))-O bond-forming reductive elimination reactions from Pd(IV) complexes. Phenoxide, acetate, difluoroacetate, dimethylphosphate, tosylate, and nitrate nucleophiles are shown to participate in this reaction. In all cases, C(sp(3))-O bond formation occurs with high selectivity over potentially competing C(sp(2))-O coupling. Additives have a profound impact on the chemoselectivity of these reductive elimination reactions. An excess of RO(-) was found to limit competing C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bond-forming reductive elimination, while the presence of Lewis acidic cations was found to suppress competing C(sp(3))-F coupling. Mechanistic investigations were conducted, and the available data are consistent with a sequence involving pre-equilibrium dissociation of the oxyanion ligand (RO(-)) followed by nucleophilic attack of RO(-) on a cationic Pd(IV)-alkyl intermediate.

It's the second step that counts: arylation of Pd by Au takes place through transition states and intermediates featuring strong Au⋅⋅⋅Pd metallophilic interactions. However, the aryl transfer from [AuArL] to [PdArClL(2)] is thermodynamically disfavored and will not occur unless an irreversible Ar-Ar coupling from [PdAr(2)L(2)] follows.

Gold shuttle: Bulky groups, which will not (or only very sluggishly) undergo Stille coupling with stannanes and inexpensive ligands, can be efficiently coupled using bimetallic catalysis. A gold cocatalyst serves as an efficient shuttle to convey the bulky group from tin to palladium by reducing the steric crowding in the transition‐states (see scheme).

Silver salts are one of the most widely used additives in Pd-catalysed transformations. Apart from acting as halide scavenger and/or external oxidant, over the past decade it has been revealed that silver salts can play other roles such as C-H activation promoter or decarboxylating agent, generating organosilver(I) species. These nucleophiles can promote innovative transformations by reacting with Pd II intermediates through a transmetalation step. This review article covers different Pd-catalysed C-C bond-forming reactions where silver complexes have been proposed to act as nucleophilic coupling partners. We will also provide relevant mechanistic features associated to these transformations.