Intermolecular propargyl/allenyl group transfer from Pd(II) to Pt(0) and Pt(II) to Pd(0). Key reaction in metal-catalyzed isomerization between propargyl and allenyl metal complexes

Isomerization of phenyl-substituted propargylplatinum(II) complex, trans-Pt(CH₂CCPh)(Cl)(PPh₃)₂ (1) to allenyl complex, trans-Pt(CPh=C=CH₂)(Cl)(PPh₃)₂ (2) was found to be catalyzed by zerovalent complex Pd(PPh₃)₄. The reaction was proposed to proceed through the transfer of the propargyl/allenyl ligand both from Pt(II) to Pd(0) and Pd(II) to Pt(0). The former transfer, which seemingly has a thermodynamic disadvantage, has unambiguously been confirmed to take place; treatment of 1 with Pd(PPh₃)₄ or a mixture of Pd₂(dba)₃ and PPh₃ resulted in the formation of Pd(I) complex, Pd₂(μ-PhCCCH₂)(μ-Cl)(PPh₃)₂ which lies in equilibrium with a mixture of propargyl/allenylpalladium(II) and Pd(0) complexes.