Reactions of 1,4-diaza-3-methylbutadien-2-ylpalladium(II) derivatives with chloro-bridged rhodium(I) complexes

The reactions of the organometallic 1,4-diazabutadienes, RN=C(R′)C(Me)=NR″ [R = R″ = p-C₆H₄OMe, R′ = trans-PdCl(PPh₃)₂ (DAB); R = p-C₆H₄OMe, R″ = Me, R′ = trans-PdCl(PPh₃)₂ (DAB^I; R = R″ = p-C₆H₄OMe, R′ = Pd(dmtc)-(PPh₃), dmtc = dimethyldithiocarbamate (DAB^II); R = R″ = p-C₆H₄OMe, R′ = PdCl(diphos), diphos = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (DAB^III)] with [RhCl(COD)]₂ (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene, Pd/Rh ratio = $\text{1}\text{2}$) depend on the nature of the ancillary ligands at the Pd atom in group R′. In the reactions with DAB and DAB^I transfer of one PPh₃ ligand from Pd to Rh occurs yielding [RhCl(COD)(PPh₃)] and the new binuclear complexes [Rh(COD) {RN=C(R?)-C(Me)=NR″}], in which the diazabutadiene moiety acts as a chelating bidentate ligand. Exchange of ligands between the two different metallic centers also occurs in the reaction with DAB^II. In this case, the migration of the bidentate dmtc anion yields [Rh(COD)Pdmtc] and [Rh(COD) {RN=C(R?)C(Me)=NR″}]. In contrast, the reaction with DAB^III leads to the ionic product [Rh(COD)- (DAB^III)][RhCl₂(COD)], with no transfer of ligands. The cationic complex [Rh(COD)(DAB^III)]⁺ can be isolated as the perchlorate salt from the same reaction (Pd/Rh ratio = 1/1) in the presence of an excess of NaClO₄. In all the binuclear complexes the coordinated 1,5-cyclooctadiene can be readily displaced by carbon monoxide to give the corresponding dicarbonyl derivatives. The reaction of [RhCl(CO)₂]₂ with DAB and/or DAB^I yields trinuclear complexes of the type [RhCl(CO)₂]₂(DAB), in which the diazabutadiene group acts as a bridging bidentate ligand. Some reactions of the organic diazabutadiene RN=C(Me)C(Me)=NR (R = p-C₆H₄OMe) are also reported for comparison.