Synthesis and characterization of palladium(ii) complexes with new diphosphonium-diphosphine and diphosphine ligands. Production of low molecular weight alternating polyketones via catalytic CO/ethene copolymerisation

The bis-cationic diphosphonium-diphosphine 6,7-di(di-2-methoxyphenyl)phosphinyl-2,2,4,4-tetra(di-2-methoxyphenyl)-2 lambda 4,4 lambda 4-diphosphoniumbicyclo[3.1.1]heptane-bis(PF6) ((o-MeO-PCP)(PF6)2) and the diphosphine rac-2,4-bis((di-2-methoxyphenyl)phosphino)pentane (rac-o-MeO-bdpp) have been synthesized. Both ligands have been employed to coordinate PdCl2 and Pd(OAc)2 to give [PdCl2(o-MeO-PCP)](PF6)2 (1a), PdCl2(rac-o-MeO-bdpp) (1b), [Pd(OAc)2(o-MeO-PCP)](PF6)2 (2a) and Pd(OAc)2(rac-o-MeO-bdpp) (2b). The ligands and complexes have been fully characterized in solution by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. In addition, 1a and 1b have been authenticated by single crystal X-ray structure analyses. The Pd(II) complexes 1a and 1b have been employed as catalyst precursors for the CO/ethene copolymerisation in water-acetic acid mixtures, while 2a and 2b have been tested in methanol in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid. Irrespective of the reaction media, perfectly alternating polyketones were obtained in excellent yields and with number-average molecular weights ranging from 7.1-13.9 kg mol(-1) with the diphosphonium-diphosphine catalysts and from 37.2-48.2 kg mol(-1) with the diphosphine catalysts.

Bisphosphine based hetero-capsules for the encapsulation of transition metals

Just mixing of solutions of tetracationic diphosphine ligands and tetraanionic calix[4]arene building blocks leads to the formation of supramolecular heterocapsules that coordinate a palladium metal within the cavity of the assembly, giving rise to a new class of potential supramolecular transition metal catalysts.

Probing the Molecular Orbitals and Charge Redistribution in Organometallic (PP)Pd(XX) Complexes. A Pd K-Edge XANES Study

Pd K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) is used to probe the unoccupied molecular orbitals in bidentate diphosphine Pd complexes. Complexes containing a series of bidentate diphosphine ligands (PP) are examined to study the effect of the ligand bite angle on the charge redistribution in these complexes. Different coordinating moieties (XX) have been used to induce a range of Pd oxidation states. A full interpretation of the Pd K-edge XANES data is presented. The negative second derivative of these XANES data provides direct information on the energy and electronic distribution of the different unoccupied molecular orbitals probed. The charge redistributions within the complexes, as reflected in the effective Pd oxidation state, are indicated by both the intensity of the first edge feature, the "Pd d peak", and the energy of the second edge feature, the "Pd p peak", which can be easily observed in the negative second derivative of the XANES data. Additionally, the changing covalent interaction between the Pd and coordinated moieties via the Pd p orbitals is reflected directly in the energy splitting of the "Pd p" peak. Thus, investigation of these (PP)Pd(XX) complexes, some used as catalysts in organic synthesis, with XANES spectroscopy provides new essential information on their electronic properties. Further, the XANES analysis techniques described in this paper can be applied to investigate the unoccupied molecular orbitals and charge redistributions within a wide range of samples.

Alcoholysis of acylpalladium(II) complexes relevant to the alternating copolymerization of ethene and carbon monoxide and the alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes: the importance of Cis-coordinating phosphines

The mechanism and kinetics of the solvolysis of complexes of the type [(L-L)Pd(C(O)CH(3))(S)](+)[CF(3)SO(3)](-) (L-L = diphosphine ligand, S = solvent, CO, or donor atom in the ligand backbone) was studied by NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy with the use of the ligands a-j: SPANphos (a), dtbpf (b), Xantphos (c), dippf (d), DPEphos (e), dtbpx (f), dppf (g), dppp (h), calix-6-diphosphite (j). Acetyl palladium complexes containing trans-coordinating ligands that resist cis coordination (SPANphos, dtbpf) showed no methanolysis. Trans complexes that can undergo isomerization to the cis analogue (Xantphos, dippf, DPEphos) showed methanolyis of the acyl group at a moderate rate. The reaction of [trans-(DPEphos)Pd(C(O)CH(3))](+)[CF(3)SO(3)](-) (2e) with methanol shows a large negative entropy of activation. Cis complexes underwent competing decarbonylation and methanolysis with the exception of 2j, [cis-(calix-diphosphite)Pd(C(O)CH(3))(CD(3)OD)](+)[CF(3)SO(3)](-). The calix-6-diphosphite complex showed a large positive entropy of activation. It is concluded that ester elimination from acylpalladium complexes with alcohols requires cis geometry of the acyl group and coordinating alcohol. The reductive elimination of methyl acetate is described as a migratory elimination or a 1,2-shift of the alkoxy group from palladium to the acyl carbon atom. Cis complexes with bulky ligands such as dtbpx undergo an extremely fast methanolysis. An increasing steric bulk of the ligand favors the formation of methyl propanoate relative to the insertion of ethene leading to formation of oligomers or polymers in the catalytic reaction of ethene, carbon monoxide, and methanol.