The reactivity of Pd−carboimine complexes toward unsaturated
hydrocarbon bonds has
been studied. Insertion of norbornadiene and norbornene into the
Pd−C bond of the neutral
complexes
(N⌒N)Pd(C(N-2,6-Me2C6H3)Me)X
(X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3); N⌒N =
2,2‘-bipyridine
(bpy, a), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen, b))
afforded quantitatively the novel and stable
complexes
[(N⌒N)Pd(C7H8C(NR)Me)]X
and
[(N⌒N)Pd(C7H10C(NR)Me)]X
(R = 2,6-Me2C6H3). Insertion reactions
of the unstrained unsaturated hydrocarbons ethylene,
propylene, 3-methyl-1,2-butadiene, and acetylene with the cationic
complexes [(N⌒N)Pd(C(NR)Me)]X (N⌒N = bpy, phen; R =
2,6-Me2C6H3; X = BF4)
provided the complexes [(N⌒N)Pd(C2H4C(NR)Me)]X,
[(N⌒N)Pd(C3H6C(NR)Me)]X,
[(N⌒N)Pd(C5H8C(NR)Me)]X,
and
[(bpy)Pd(C2H2C(NR)Me)]X.
The remarkable stability of these products is caused by
the
strong coordination of the carboimine nitrogen to the palladium center.
Reaction of 1a and
1b with HC⋮CCOOMe gave, instead of an insertion product,
the Michael addition product
(N⌒N)Pd[C(CH2)N(2,6-Me2C6H3)(CHCHCOOMe)]Cl.
Kinetic measurements carried out
on the norbornadiene insertion reactions with
1a,b, 2a, and 3a revealed
that the reactions
are first order in the palladium concentration and occur via a
norbornadiene concentration-independent and dependent pathway.