THEORETICAL INVESTIGATION OF KETENE BONDING MODES IN BIS(PHOSPHINE) PALLADIUM KETENE COMPLEXES

Abstract

Theoretical studies were carried out on a series of bis(phosphine) palladium ketene complexes (PR₃)₂Pd(CH₂=C=O), and on the related CH₂=C=O and Pd(PR₃)₂ molecular fragments in order to investigate the electronic structure and the bonding of the ketene ligand to the metal fragment in these complexes. An analysis of the frontier MOs has been performed in order to understand the interactions between the ketene and the metal fragments. The calculated results have shown that the η²-(C,C) mode is preferred over the η²-(C,O) mode by 10–15 kcal/mol in bis(phosphine) palladium ketene complexes. The basicity and bulkiness of the phosphine ligands PR₃ have little effect on the bonding mode in (PR₃)₂Pd(CH₂=C=O) complexes. The most stable structure was calculated to be the η²-(C,C) square planar geometry with the CH₂ group of ketene out of the molecular plane. Comparison and discussion between the two bonding modes were also presented in this paper.