Pd(II) complexes of N(4)‐substituted phenylaminoacetohydrazone and biacetylmonooxime: synthesis,characterization, structures and catalytic behaviour towards Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions

The reaction of PdCl₂(CH₃CN)₂] and N(4)‐substituted phenylaminoacetohydrazone ligands (LH) in methanol at room temperature afforded air‐ and moisture‐stable palladium(II) complexes of two types with general formulae Pd(LH)Cl] and Pd₂(LH)(L)]Cl. An unusual coordination mode of ligand LH is observed, in which the ligand coordinates through N(4)H nitrogen and without enolization of the carbonyl group of the hydrazone moiety in both mono‐ and bimetallic complexes. The crystal structure of the complexes reveals that the oxime LH reacts with PdCl₂(CH₃CN)₂] presumably via the elimination of HCl from hydrazine NH. All the synthesized Pd(II) complexes were evaluated as catalysts in the Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction of aryl halides, activated 4‐bromoacetophenone and non‐activated bromobenzene, with phenylboronic acid in aqueous medium. In both cases, i.e. with activated and non‐activated aryl halides, all the complexes show moderate conversion leading to biaryls with yields in the range 50–65%. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.