In contrast to the chemistry of momomeric η1-Pd allyls, which act as nucleophiles, and monomeric η3-Pd allyls, which act as electrophiles, relatively little
is known about the reactivity of Pd complexes with bridging allyl
ligands. Recently we demonstrated that PdI dimers containing
two bridging allyl ligands react with one equivalent of CO2 to form species with one bridging allyl and one bridging carboxylate
ligand. In this work we have prepared complexes from three different
classes of PdI bridging allyl dimers: (i) dimers containing
two bridging allyl ligands, (ii) dimers with one bridging allyl and
one bridging chloride ligand, and (iii) dimers with one bridging allyl
and one bridging carboxylate ligand. Complexes from all three groups
have been characterized by X-ray crystallography, and their structures
compared. Complexes with two bridging allyl ligands have the longest
Pd bridging allyl bond lengths due to the high trans influence of the opposing bridging allyl ligand. For these species
the HOMO is located almost entirely on the bridging allyl ligands,
whereas for chloride- and carboxylate-bridged species the HOMO is
primarily Pd based. A combined experimental and theoretical study
has been performed to investigate the reactivity of the three different
types of bridging allyl dimers with CO2. Complexes with
one bridging allyl and one bridging chloride ligand and complexes
with one bridging allyl and one bridging carboxylate ligand do not
insert CO2 because the reaction is thermodynamically unfavorable.
In contrast, in most cases the reaction of CO2 with species
containing two bridging allyl ligands is facile and involves nucleophilic
attack of the bridging allyl ligand on electrophilic CO2. An alternative pathway for CO2 insertion, which involves
a monomer/dimer equilibrium, can occur in the presence of a weakly
coordinating ligand. Overall, our results suggest that although the
bridging allyl ligand is likely to be unreactive in carboxylate- and
chloride-bridged species, complexes with two bridging allyl ligands
can act as nucleophiles like monomeric η1-Pd allyls.