Stoichiometrically Controlled Revocable Self‐Assembled “Spiro” versus Quadruple‐Stranded “Double‐Decker” Type Coordination Cages

The simple combination of Pd^II with the tris‐monodentate ligand bis(pyridin‐3‐ylmethyl) pyridine‐3,5‐dicarboxylate, L , at ratios of 1:2 and 3:4 demonstrated the stoichiometrically controlled exclusive formation of the “spiro‐type” Pd₁L₂ macrocycle, 1 , and the quadruple‐stranded Pd₃L₄ cage, 2 , respectively. The architecture of 2 is elaborated with two compartments that can accommodate two units of fluoride, chloride, or bromide ions, one in each of the enclosures. However, the entry of iodide is altogether restricted. Complexes 1 and 2 are interconvertible under suitable conditions.     

1‐Ferrocenylmethyl‐3‐(2,4,6‐trimethylbenzyl)‐1H‐imidazolidin‐3‐ium iodide and trans‐bis(3‐benzyl‐1‐ferrocenylmethyl‐1H‐imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)diiodidopalladium(II)

Owing to increasing interest in the use of N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) based on imidazolidinium ions as ligands in the design of highly efficient transition‐metal‐based homogeneous catalysts, the characterizations of the 1‐ferrocenylmethyl‐3‐(2,4,6‐trimethylbenzyl)imidazolidin‐3‐ium iodide salt, [Fe(C₅H₅)(C₁₉H₂₄N₂)]I, (I), and the palladium complex trans‐bis(3‐benzyl‐1‐ferrocenylmethyl‐1H‐imidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)diiodidopalladium(II), [Fe₂Pd(C₅H₅)₂(C₁₆H₁₇N₂)₂I₂], (II), are reported. Compound (I) has two iodide anions and two imidazolidinium cations within the asymmetric unit (Z′ = 2). The two cations have distinctly different conformations, with the ferrocene groups orientated exo and endo with respect to the N‐heterocyclic carbene. Weak C—H donor hydrogen bonds to both the iodide anions and the π system of the mesitylene group combine to form two‐dimensional layers perpendicular to the crystallographic c direction. Only one of the formally charged imidazolidinium rings forms a near‐linear hydrogen bond with an iodide anion. Complex (II) shows square‐planar coordination around the Pd^II metal, which is located on an inversion centre (Z′ = 0.5). The ferrocene and benzyl substituents are in a trans–anti arrangement. The Pd—C bond distance between the N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands and the metal atom is 2.036 (7) Å. A survey of related structures shows that the lengthening of the N—C bonds and the closure of the N—C—N angle seen here on metal complexation is typical of similar NHCs and their complexes.     

ESI‐MS studies of palladium (II) complexes with 1‐(p‐toluenesulfonyl)cytosine/cytosinato ligands

The mononuclear complex Pd(1‐TosC‐N3)₂Cl₂ (2) containing 1‐(p‐toluenesulfonyl)cytosine (1) as a ligand, as well as dinuclear complexes Pd₂(1‐TosC^?‐N3,N4)₄ (3) and Pd₂(1‐TosC^?‐N3,N4)₂DMSO₂Cl₂ (4) containing the ligand anion (1‐TosC^?), was mass analyzed by electrospray ionization ion trap MS/MS and high resolution MS. Complexes 3 and 4 were obtained by recrystallization of 2 from DMF and DMSO, respectively. The behavior of complex 2 in different solutions was monitored by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). Under the applied ESI‐MS conditions, complex 2 in methanol reorganized itself dominantly as new complex 3 and the solvent did not coordinate the formed species. In H₂O/DMSO, CH₃CN/DMSO and CH₃OH/DMSO solutions, complex 2 formed several new species with solvent molecules involved in their structure, e.g. complex 4 was formed as the major product. The newly formed species were also examined by LC‐MS‐DAD, confirming the solvent induced reorganization and the solution instability of complex 2. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A trinuclear palladium(II) complex containing N,S‐coordinating 2‐(benzylsulfanyl)anilinide and 1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolate ligands with a central square‐planar PdN4 motif

The reaction of dichlorido(cod)palladium(II) (cod = 1,5‐cyclooctadiene) with 2‐(benzylsulfanyl)aniline followed by heating in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) produces the linear trinuclear Pd₃ complex bis(μ₂‐1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolato)bis[μ₂‐2‐(benzylsulfanyl)anilinido]dichloridotripalladium(II) N,N‐dimethylformamide disolvate, [Pd₃(C₇H₄NS₂)₂(C₁₃H₁₂NS)₂Cl₂]·2C₃H₇NO. The molecule has symmetry and a Pd...Pd separation of 3.2012 (4) Å. The outer Pd^II atoms have a square‐planar geometry formed by an N,S‐chelating 2‐(benzylsulfanyl)anilinide ligand, a chloride ligand and the thiolate S atom of a bridging 1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolate ligand, while the central Pd^II core shows an all N‐coordinated square‐planar geometry. The geometry is perfectly planar within the PdN₄ core and the N—Pd—N bond angles differ significantly [84.72 (15)° for the N atoms of ligands coordinated to the same outer Pd atom and 95.28 (15)° for the N atoms of ligands coordinated to different outer Pd atoms]. This trinuclear Pd₃ complex is the first example of one in which 1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolate ligands are only N‐coordinated to one Pd centre. The 1,3‐benzothiazole‐2‐thiolate ligands were formed in situ from 2‐(benzylsulfanyl)aniline.     

Palladium‐Catalyzed Coupling Reaction of Perfluoroarenes with Diarylzinc Compounds

This report describes the first Pd⁰‐catalyzed cross‐coupling of hexafluorobenzene (C₆F₆) with diarylzinc compounds to give a variety of pentafluorophenyl arenes. This reaction could be applied to other perfluoroarenes, such as octafluorotoluene, pentafluoropyridine, and perfluoronaphthalene, to give the corresponding polyfluorinated coupling products. The optimal ligand in this catalytic reaction was PCy₃, and lithium iodide was indispensable as an additive for the coupling reaction. One of the roles of lithium iodide in this catalytic reaction was to promote the oxidative addition of one C?F bond of C₆F₆ to palladium. Stoichiometric reactions revealed that an expected oxidative‐addition product, trans‐[Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)₂], generated from the reaction of [Pd(PCy₃)₂] with C₆F₆ in the presence of lithium iodide, was not involved in the catalytic cycle. Instead, a transient three‐coordinate, monophosphine‐ligated species, [Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)], emerged as a potential intermediate in the catalytic cycle. Therefore, we isolated a novel Pd^II complex, [Pd(C₆F₅)I(PCy₃)(py)], in which pyridine (py) acted as a labile ligand to generate the transient species. In fact, in the presence of lithium iodide, this Pd^II complex was found to react smoothly with diphenylzinc to give the desired pentafluorophenyl benzene, whereas the same reaction conducted in the absence of lithium iodide resulted in a decreased yield of pentafluorophenyl benzene, which indicated that the other role of lithium iodide was to enhance the reactivity of the organozinc species during the transmetalation step.     

Pd‐Catalyzed Cycloisomerization of 4‐Aza‐1,6‐enynes to 3‐Aza‐bicyclo[4.1.0]hept‐2‐enes

A method for the synthesis of bicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes from 1,6‐enynes through Pd‐catalyzed cycloisomerization has been developed. N‐ and O‐tethered 1,6‐enynes were successfully transformed to their corresponding 3‐aza‐ and 3‐oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes in reasonable‐to‐high yields using the catalysts [PdCl₂(CH₃CN)₂]/P(OPh)₃ or [Pd(maleimidate)₂(PPh₃)₂] in toluene. The computational calculations using density functional theory indicate that [PdCl₂{P(OPh)₃}] in the oxidation state Pd^II acts as the active catalyst species for the formation of 3‐azabicyclo[4.1.0]heptenes through 6‐endo‐dig cyclization.     

Near‐Infrared‐III‐Absorbing and ‐Emitting Dyes: Energy‐Gap Engineering of Expanded Porphyrinoids via Metallation

The synthesis of organometallic complexes of modified 26π‐conjugated hexaphyrins with absorption and emission capabilities in the third near‐infrared region (NIR‐III) is described. Symmetry alteration of the frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) of bis‐Pd^II and bis‐Pt^II complexes of hexaphyrin via N‐confusion modification led to substantial metal d_π–p_π interactions. This MO mixing, in turn, resulted in a significantly narrower HOMO–LUMO energy gap. A remarkable long‐wavelength shift of the lowest S₀→S₁ absorption beyond 1700 nm was achieved with the bis‐Pt^II complex, t ‐Pt₂‐3 . The emergence of photoacoustic (PA) signals maximized at 1700 nm makes t ‐Pt₂‐3 potentially useful as a NIR‐III PA contrast agent. The rigid bis‐Pd^II complexes, t ‐Pd₂‐3 and c ‐Pd₂‐3 , are rare examples of NIR emitters beyond 1500 nm. The current study provides new insight into the design of stable, expanded porphyrinic dyes possessing NIR‐III‐emissive and photoacoustic‐response capabilities.     

Exploring the Oxidative‐Addition Pathways of Phenyl Chloride in the Presence of PdII Abnormal N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: A DFT Study

DFT calculations were performed to elucidate the oxidative addition mechanism of the dimeric palladium(II) abnormal N‐heterocyclic carbene complex 2 in the presence of phenyl chloride and NaOMe base under the framework of a Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction. Pre‐catalyst 2 undergoes facile, NaOMe‐assisted dissociation, which led to monomeric palladium(II) species 5 , 6 , and 7 , each of them independently capable of initiating oxidative addition reactions with PhCl. Thereafter, three different mechanistic routes, path a, path b, and path c, which originate from the catalytic species 5 , 7 , and 6 , were calculated at M06‐L ‐D3(SMD)/LANL2TZ(f)(Pd)/6–311++G**//M06‐L/LANL2DZ(Pd)/6–31+G* level of theory. All studied routes suggested the rather uncommon Pd^II/Pd^IV oxidative addition mechanism to be favourable under the ambient reaction conditions. Although the Pd⁰/Pd^II routes are generally facile, the final reductive elimination step from the catalytic complexes were energetically formidable. The Pd^II/Pd^IV activation barriers were calculated to be 11.3, 9.0, 26.7 kcal mol^?1 (ΔΔ^≠G_L^S‐D3) more favourable than the Pd^II/Pd⁰ reductive elimination routes for path a, path b, and path c, respectively. Out of all the studied pathways, path a was the most feasible as it comprised of a Pd^II/Pd^IV activation barrier of 24.5 kcal mol^?1 (ΔG_L^S‐D3). To further elucidate the origin of transition‐state barriers, EDA calculations were performed for some key saddle points populating the energy profiles.     

[(IPent)PdCl2(morpholine)]: A Readily Activated Precatalyst for Room‐Temperature,Additive‐Free Carbon–Sulfur Coupling

A series of new, easily activated NHC–Pd^II precatalysts featuring a trans‐oriented morpholine ligand were prepared and evaluated for activity in carbon‐sulfur cross‐coupling chemistry. [(IPent)PdCl₂(morpholine)] (IPent=1,3‐bis(2,6‐di(3‐pentyl)phenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene) was identified as the most active precatalyst and was shown to effectively couple a wide variety of deactivated aryl halides with both aryl and alkyl thiols at or near ambient temperature, without the need for additives, external activators, or pre‐activation steps. Mechanistic studies revealed that, in contrast to other common NHC–Pd^II precatalysts, these complexes are rapidly reduced to the active NHC–Pd⁰ species at ambient temperature in the presence of KOtBu, thus avoiding the formation of deleterious off‐cycle Pd^II–thiolate resting states.     

Synthesis of (1α)‐1,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3 with a β‐Positioned Seven‐Carbon Side Chain at C(12)

A convergent synthesis of an analogue of (1α)‐1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D₃ ( 1b ) with a C₇ side chain at C(12), i.e., of 5 (Fig.), is described. A key step of the synthesis is the assembly of the triene system by a Pd^II‐catalyzed ring closure of an enol triflate (‘bottom’ fragment) followed by coupling of the resulting Pd^II intermediate with an alkenylboronate (‘upper’ fragment) (Scheme 2). The synthetic strategy allows isotopic labelling at the end of the synthesis.     

Pd0‐Mediated Rapid Coupling between Methyl Iodide and Heteroarylstannanes: An Efficient and General Method for the Incorporation of a Positron‐Emitting 11C Radionuclide into Heteroaromatic Frameworks

The Pd⁰‐mediated rapid trapping of methyl iodide with an excess amount of a heteroaryl‐substituted tributylstannane has been investigated with the aim of incorporating a short‐lived ¹¹C‐labelled methyl group into the heteroaromatic carbon frameworks of important organic compounds, such as drugs with various heteroaromatic structures, in order to execute a positron emission tomography (PET) study of vital systems. The reaction was first performed by using our previously developed CH₃I/stannane/[Pd₂(dba)₃]/P(o‐CH₃C₆H₄)₃/CuCl/K₂CO₃ (1:40:0.5:2:2:2) system in DMF at 60 °C for 5 min (conditions A), however, the reaction gave low yields for various heteroaromatic compounds. Increasing the amount of phosphine ligand (conditions B) led to a significant improvement in the yield, but the conditions were still not suitable for a range of basic heteroaromatic structures. Use of the CuBr/CsF system (conditions C) also provided a result similar to that obtained under conditions B with an increased amount of the phosphine. Thus, pyridine and related heteroaromatic compounds remained less reactive substrates. The problem was overcome by replacing the DMF solvent with N‐methyl‐2‐pyrolidinone (NMP). The reaction in NMP at 60–100 °C for 5 min using a CH₃I/stannane/[Pd₂(dba)₃]/P(o‐CH₃C₆H₄)₃/CuBr/CsF (1:40:0.5:16:2:5) combination (conditions D) gave the methylated products in yields of more than 80 % (based on the reaction of CH₃I) for all of the heteroaromatic compounds listed in this study. Thus, the combined use of NMP and an increased amount of phosphine is important for promoting the reaction efficiently. The use of this general approach to rapid methylation has been well demonstrated by the synthesis of the PET tracers 2‐ and 3‐[¹¹C]methylpyridines by using [Pd₂(dba)₃]/P(o‐CH₃C₆H₄)₃/CuBr/CsF (1:16:2:5) in NMP at 60 °C for 5 min, which gives the desired products in HPLC analytical yields of 88 and 91 %, respectively.     

Nickel(II) Complexes of 1‐Alkyl‐1‐azonia‐3,5‐diaza‐7‐phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]decane – Synthesis and Solid‐State Structures

Complexes [NiI₃(mpta)₂]I ( 1 ) and [NiI₃(ppta)₂]I ( 2 ) have been synthesized by reaction of nickel(II) halide salts with ‐1‐methyl‐1‐azonia‐3,5‐diaza‐7‐phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1^3,7]decane iodide (mpta⁺I^?) and 1‐(n‐propyl)‐1‐azonia‐3,5‐diaza‐7‐phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1^3,7]decane bromide (ppta⁺Br^?) respectively. The crystal structures of compounds 1 and 2 are described and are similar, with both compounds crystallizing in monoclinic space groups. The geometry about both nickel atoms is that of a trigonal bipyramid with the cationic phosphine ligands found in the axial positions and the iodide ligands arranged in the equatorial plane.     

Bis[S‐benzyl‐3‐(4‐n‐octyloxybenzylidene)dithiocarbazato‐κ2N3,S′]palladium(II)

In the title compound, [Pd(C₂₃H₂₉N₂OS₂)₂], the Pd^II atom displays the expected square‐planar coordination geometry. However, the trans configuration, which allows the Pd^II atom to be located on a crystallographic inversion centre, is unusual with respect to the cis arrangement found in analogous Pd complexes comprising similar N,S‐chelating ligands.     

A Pd4Br4 macrocycle trapped by cocrystallization from a highly dynamic equilibrium of η3‐cycloheptatrienide complexes

In the coordination chemistry of palladium, dimers bridged via halides are a common motif. Higher oligomers, however, are still rare. We report the structure of an alternating eight‐membered [Pd₄Br₄]⁴⁻ ring framed by cycloheptatrienide ligands, which was obtained by cocrystallization of dimers and tetramers of the complex salt bromido{η³‐[3‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium‐1‐yl]cycloheptatrienido}palladium(II) tetrafluoroborate, namely bis[di‐μ‐bromido‐bis({η³‐[3‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium‐1‐yl]cycloheptatrienido}palladium(II))] cyclo‐tetra‐μ‐bromido‐tetrakis({η³‐[3‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolium‐1‐yl]cycloheptatrienido}palladium(II)) octakis(tetrafluoroborate) dichloromethane octasolvate, [Pd₄Br₄(C₂₂H₂₆N₂)₄][Pd₂Br₂(C₂₂H₂₆N₂)₂]₂(BF₄)₈·8CH₂Cl₂. These dimers and tetramers form a highly dynamic equilibrium in solution which was studied by low‐temperature NMR spectroscopy. In the light of the presented results, tetrameric Pd^II species can be assumed to co‐exist as a second species in many cases where by current knowledge only a dimeric compound would be expected.     

EPR Spectroscopy of 4, 4′‐Bis(tert‐butyl)‐2, 2′‐bipyridine‐1, 2‐dithiolatocuprates(II) in Host Lattices with Different Coordination Geometries

A series of new heteroleptic MN₂S₂ transition metal complexes with M = Cu²⁺ for EPR measurements and as diamagnetic hosts Ni²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Pd²⁺ were synthesized and characterized. The ligands are N₂ = 4, 4′‐bis(tert‐butyl)‐2, 2′‐bipyridine (tBu₂bpy) and S₂ =1, 2‐dithiooxalate, (dto), 1, 2‐dithiosquarate, (dtsq), maleonitrile‐1, 2‐dithiolate, or 1, 2‐dicyanoethene‐1, 2‐dithiolate, (mnt). The Cu^II complexes were studied by EPR in solution and as powders, diamagnetically diluted in the isostructural planar [Ni^II(tBu₂bpy)(S₂)] or[Pd^II(tBu₂bpy)(S₂)] as well as in tetrahedrally coordinated[Zn^II(tBu₂bpy)(S₂)] host structures to put steric stress on the coordination geometry of the central CuN₂S₂ unit. The spin density contributions for different geometries calculated from experimental parameters are compared with the electronic situation in the frontier orbital, namely in the semi‐occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) of the copper complex, derived from quantum chemical calculations on different levels (EHT and DFT). One of the hosts, [Ni^II(tBu₂bpy)(mnt)], is characterized by X‐ray structure analysis to prove the coordination geometry. The complex crystallizes in a square‐planar coordination mode in the monoclinic space group P2₁/a with Z = 4 and the unit cell parameters a = 10.4508(10) Å, b = 18.266(2) Å, c = 12.6566(12) Å, β = 112.095(7)°. Oxidation and reductions potentials of one of the host complexes, [Ni(tBu₂bpy)(mnt)], were obtained by cyclovoltammetric measurements.     

Initiator effect on the cationic ring‐opening copolymerization of 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline and 2‐phenyl‐2‐oxazoline

The aim of this research was to study the effect of the initiator on the resulting monomer distribution for the cationic ring‐opening copolymerization of 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline (EtOx) and 2‐phenyl‐2‐oxazoline (PhOx). At first, kinetic studies were performed for the homopolymerizations of both monomers at 160 °C under microwave irradiation using four initiators. These initiators have the same benzyl‐initiating group but different leaving groups, Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, and OTs^?. The basicity of the leaving group affects the ratio of covalent and cationic propagating species and, thus, the polymerization rate. The observed differences in polymerization rates could be correlated to the concentration of cationic species in the polymerization mixture as determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. In a next‐step, polymerization kinetics were determined for the copolymerizations of EtOx and PhOx with these four initiators. The reactivity ratios for these copolymerizations were calculated from the polymerization rates obtained for the copolymerizations. This approach allows more accurate determination of the copolymerization parameters compared to conventional methods using the composition of single polymers. When benzyl chloride (BCl) was used as an initiator, no copolymers could be obtained because its reactivity is too low for the polymerization of PhOx. With decreasing basicity of the used counterions (Br^? > I^? > OTs^?), the reactivity ratios gradually changed from r_EtOx = 10.1 and r_PhOx = 0.30 to r_EtOx = 7.9 and r_PhOx = 0.18. However, the large difference in reactivity ratios will lead to the formation of quasi‐diblock copolymers in all cases. In conclusion, the used initiator does influence the monomer distribution in the copolymers, but for the investigated system the differences were so small that no difference in the resulting polymer properties is expected. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4804–4816, 2008     

Low‐dimensional compounds containing bioactive ligands. IV. Unusual ionic forms of 5‐chloroquinolin‐8‐ol

Bis(5‐chloro‐8‐hydroxyquinolinium) tetrachloridopalladate(II), (C₉H₇ClNO)₂[PdCl₄], (I), catena‐poly[dimethylammonium [[dichloridopalladate(II)]‐μ‐chlorido]], {(C₂H₈N)[PdCl₃]}_n, (II), ethylenediammonium bis(5‐chloroquinolin‐8‐olate), C₂H₁₀N₂²⁺·2C₉H₅ClNO⁻, (III), and 5‐chloro‐8‐hydroxyquinolinium chloride, C₉H₇ClNO⁺·Cl⁻, (IV), were synthesized with the aim of preparing biologically active complexes of Pd^II and Ni^II with 5‐chloroquinolin‐8‐ol (ClQ). Compounds (I) and (II) contain Pd^II atoms which are coordinated in a square‐planar manner by four chloride ligands. In the structure of (I), there is an isolated [PdCl₄]²⁻ anion, while in the structure of (II) the anion consists of Pd^II atoms, lying on centres of inversion, bonded to a combination of two terminal and two bridging Cl⁻ ligands, lying on twofold rotation axes, forming an infinite [–μ₂‐Cl–PdCl₂–]_n chain. The negative charges of these anions are balanced by two crystallographically independent protonated HClQ⁺ cations in (I) and by dimethylammonium cations in (II), with the N atoms lying on twofold rotation axes. The structure of (III) consists of ClQ⁻ anions, with the hydroxy groups deprotonated, and centrosymmetric ethylenediammonium cations. On the other hand, the structure of (IV) consists of a protonated HClQ⁺ cation with the positive charge balanced by a chloride anion. All four structures are stabilized by systems of hydrogen bonds which occur between the anions and cations. π–π interactions were observed between the HClQ⁺ cations in the structures of (I) and (IV).     

The First Metal‐Carbon Bond β‐Isomer Paddlewheel Pd24+ Compounds

The first metal‐carbon bond β‐form paddlewheel complexes containing a Pd₂⁴⁺ core, [Pd(η²‐dithio)]₂(μ‐dppa)( μ‐SCNMe₂) (dithio = S₂P(OEt)₂, 2 ; S₂COEt, 3 ; S₂CNC₄H₈, 4 ), were prepared by the reactions of the α‐form paddlewheel‐type Pd₂⁺⁴ dipalladium complex [Pd₂ (μ‐Hdppa)₂(μ‐SCNMe₂)₂][Cl]₂, 1 with various dithio‐ligands, [NH₄][S₂P(OEt)₂], [K][S₂COEt] and [NH₄][S₂CNC₄H₈], in methanol at ambient temperature (Hdppa = bis(diphenylphosphino)amine). Electronic spectra and two X‐ray structures of the Pd₂⁺⁴ species have been determined.     

rac‐1‐[(2‐Methoxyethyl)sulfanyl]‐2‐[(2‐methoxyethyl)sulfinyl]benzene and its PdCl2 complex

As an extension of recent findings on the recovery of palladium with dithioether extractants, single crystals of the chelating vicinal thioether sulfoxide ligand rac‐1‐[(2‐methoxyethyl)sulfanyl]‐2‐[(2‐methoxyethyl)sulfinyl]benzene, C₁₂H₁₈O₃S₂, (I), and its square‐planar dichloridopalladium complex, rac‐dichlorido{1‐[(2‐methoxyethyl)sulfanyl]‐2‐[(2‐methoxyethyl)sulfinyl]benzene‐κ²S,S′}palladium(II), [PdCl₂(C₁₂H₁₈O₃S₂)], (II), have been synthesized and their structures analysed. The molecular structure of (II) is the first ever characterized involving a dihalogenide–Pd^II complex in which the palladium is bonded to both a thioether and a sulfoxide functional group. The structural and stereochemical characteristics of the ligand are compared with those of the analogous dithioether compound [Traeger et al. (2012). Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. pp. 2341–2352]. The sulfinyl O atom suppresses the electron‐pushing and mesomeric effect of the S—C...;C—S unit in ligand (I), resulting in bond lengths significantly different than in the dithioether reference compound. In contrast, in complex (II), those bond lengths are nearly the same as in the analogous dithioether complex. As observed previously, there is an interaction between the central Pd^II atom and the O atom that is situated above the plane.     

Can Synthetic All‐Metal Cluster Compound Support Multifold (π and σ) Aromaticity and d‐Orbital Aromaticity?

There are active debates on whether the concept of aromaticity should be extended beyond carbon based organic systems. One argument against such extension is that the proposed new aromatic species are not bottleable. We present herein in‐depth chemical bonding analyses of a synthetic, core‐shell, intermetalloid [Pd₃Sn₈Bi₆]^4‐ cluster. The computational data unravel unprecedented five‐fold (π and σ) aromaticity, including d‐orbital aromaticity. Delocalized electron clouds in this all‐metal system cover the Pd₃ core, trigonal pyramid Sn₄ caps, peripheral Bi₆ ring, and roof‐like Sn₂Bi₂ walls, each following the (4n + 2) Hückel rule. The present finding is beyond imagination, providing a compelling example that all‐metal aromaticity not only exists in bulk compounds, but also can be in multifold π/σ fashion.