Alkene insertion reactions of nitrogen-coordinated acylpalladium(II) complexes. The crystal structure of the dicyclopentadiene insertion product [Pd(C10H12COMe)(bpy)]SO3CF3

Abstract The new acylpalladium(II) complex [PdI(COMe)(bpy)] (2b, bpy = 2,2′-bipyridyl) has been obtained by two routes; (i) by insertion of carbon monoxide into the PdC bond of [PdIMe(bpy)] ( 1b ), and (ii) by ligand exchange from [PdI(COMe)(tmeda)] ( 2a , tmeda = N , N , N ′, N ′-tetramethylethanediamine). The cationic species obtained by reaction of 2a and 2b with AgOSO 2 CF 3 both undergo alkene insertions into the PdC acyl bond that lead to remarkably stable products. The X-ray structure of the dicyclopentadiene insertion product [Pd(C 10 H 12 COMe)(bpy)]SO 3 CF 3 ( 4b ) shows the oxygen atom of the carbonyl group to be coordinated to the metal center (PdO = 2.026(3) A).