Pyracene‐Linked Bis‐Imidazolylidene Complexes of Palladium and Some Catalytic Benefits Produced by Bimetallic Catalysts

Two new palladium complexes with a pyracene‐linked bis‐imidazolylidene (pyrabim) group have been obtained and fully characterized. The related monometallic analogues were obtained from the coordination of an acetanaphthene‐supported N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC). The catalytic properties of all complexes were studied in the acylation of aryl halides with hydrocinnamaldehyde, and in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of aryl halides and aryl boronic acids. The results show that the presence of a second metal in the dimetallic complexes induces some benefits in the catalytic behavior of the complexes. This effect is more pronounced in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling, for which the dimetallic complexes exhibit significantly higher activity than their monometallic counterparts.     

Investigation of sp2–sp Coupling for Electron‐Enriched Aryl Dihalides under Oxygen‐Free Sonogashira Coupling Reaction Conditions Using a Two‐Chamber Reaction System

Triethylamine hydroiodide crystals were formed during Sonogashira reactions; after complete reaction the solution retains a characteristic light color (see picture). Very sluggish Sonogashira reactions of electron‐enriched aryl diiodides have been carried out in high yield in an oxygen‐free, two‐chamber reaction system. The formation of triethylamine hydroiodide crystals was monitored to determine the completion of reaction.

     

Acyclic Palladium(II)‐N‐heterocyclic Carbene Metallacrown Ether Complexes: Synthesis,Structure and Catalytic Activity

Novel acyclic Pd(II)‐N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) metallacrown ethers 5a , 5b have been synthesized. Reaction of the imidazolium salts bearing a long polyether chain with Ag₂O afforded Ag‐NHC complexes, which then reacted as carbene transfer agent with PdCl₂(MeCN)₂ to give the desired acyclic Pd(II)‐NHC metallacrown ether complexes 5a and 5b . The ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra show 5a and 5b exist as mixtures of cis and trans isomers in solution. The trans isomer of 5a was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, which clearly demonstrated two pseudo‐crown ether cavities in trans‐ 5a . Pd(II)‐NHC complexes 5a and 5b have been shown to be highly effective in the Suzuki‐Miyaura reactions of a variety of aryl bromides in neat water without the need of inert gas protection.     

Palladium complexes of N-heterocyclic carbenes as catalysts for cross-coupling reactions--a synthetic chemist's perspective

Palladium-catalyzed C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions are among the most versatile and powerful synthetic methods. For the last 15 years, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have enjoyed increasing popularity as ligands in Pd-mediated cross-coupling and related transformations because of their superior performance compared to the more traditional tertiary phosphanes. The strong sigma-electron-donating ability of NHCs renders oxidative insertion even in challenging substrates facile, while their steric bulk and particular topology is responsible for fast reductive elimination. The strong Pd-NHC bonds contribute to the high stability of the active species, even at low ligand/Pd ratios and high temperatures. With a number of commercially available, stable, user-friendly, and powerful NHC-Pd precatalysts, the goal of a universal cross-coupling catalyst is within reach. This Review discusses the basics of Pd-NHC chemistry to understand the peculiarities of these catalysts and then gives a critical discussion on their application in C-C and C-N cross-coupling as well as carbopalladation reactions.     

Studies on the Amination of Aryl Chlorides with a Monoligated Palladium Catalyst: Kinetic Evidence for a Cooperative Mechanism

Combined spectroscopic, crystallographic, and kinetic studies of the mechanism of aromatic amination with the efficient dinuclear Pd precatalyst [Pd₂Cl(μ‐Cl)PtBu₂(Bph‐Me)] (Bph‐Me=2′‐methyl‐[1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2‐yl) have revealed overlapping, yet cooperative, mechanistic scenarios, the relative weights of which are strongly influenced by the products formed as the reaction proceeds. The stability and evolution of the precatalyst in solution has been studied and several metalation pathways that point to a single monoligated intermediate have been identified. Our work sheds light on the nature of the catalytic species involved in the process and on the structure of the corresponding catalytic network.     

Dichloro‐Bis(aminophosphine) Complexes of Palladium: Highly Convenient,Reliable and Extremely Active Suzuki–Miyaura Catalysts with Excellent Functional Group Tolerance

Dichloro‐bis(aminophosphine) complexes are stable depot forms of palladium nanoparticles and have proved to be excellent Suzuki–Miyaura catalysts. Simple modifications of the ligand (and/or the addition of water to the reaction mixture) have allowed their formation to be controlled. Dichlorobis[1‐(dicyclohexylphosphanyl)piperidine]palladium ( 3 ), the most active catalyst of the investigated systems, is a highly convenient, reliable, and extremely active Suzuki catalyst with excellent functional group tolerance that enables the quantitative coupling of a wide variety of activated, nonactivated, and deactivated and/or sterically hindered functionalized and heterocyclic aryl and benzyl bromides with only a slight excess (1.1–1.2 equiv) of arylboronic acid at 80 °C in the presence of 0.2 mol % of the catalyst in technical grade toluene in flasks open to the air. Conversions of >95 % were generally achieved within only a few minutes. The reaction protocol presented herein is universally applicable. Side‐products have only rarely been detected. The catalytic activities of the aminophosphine‐based systems were found to be dramatically improved compared with their phosphine analogue as a result of significantly faster palladium nanoparticle formation. The decomposition products of the catalysts are dicyclohexylphosphinate, cyclohexylphosphonate, and phosphate, which can easily be separated from the coupling products, a great advantage when compared with non‐water‐soluble phosphine‐based systems.     

Providing Support in Favor of the Existence of a PdII/PdIV Catalytic Cycle in a Heck‐Type Reaction

The complex [Pd(O,N,C‐L)(OAc)], in which L is a monoanionic pincer ligand derived from 2,6‐diacetylpyridine, reacts with 2‐iodobenzoic acid at room temperature to afford the very stable pair of Pd^IV complexes (OC‐6‐54)‐ and (OC‐6‐26)‐[Pd(O,N,C‐L)(O,C‐C₆H₄CO₂‐2)I] (1.5:1 molar ratio, at ?55 °C). These complexes and the Pd^II species [Pd(O,N,C‐L)(OX)] and [Pd(O,N,C‐L′)(NCMe)]ClO₄, (X=MeC(O) or ClO₃, L′=another monoanionic pincer ligand derived from 2,6‐diacetylpyridine), are precatalysts for the arylation of CH₂?CHR (R?CO₂Me, CO₂Et, Ph) using IC₆H₄CO₂H‐2 and AgClO₄. These catalytic reactions have been studied and a tentative mechanism is proposed. The presence of two Pd^IV complexes was detected by ESI(+)‐MS during the catalytic process. All the data obtained strongly support a Pd^II/Pd^IV catalytic cycle.