Phosphine free diamino-diol based palladium catalysts and their application in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions

Inexpensive air and moisture stable diamino-diol ligands [(2-OH-C₁₀H₆)CH₂(μ-NC₄H₈N)CH₂(C₁₀H₆-2-OH)] (1) and [(5-^tBuC₆H₃-2-OH)CH₂(μ-NC₄H₈N)CH₂(5-^tBuC₆H₃-2-OH)] (2) were synthesized by reacting corresponding alcohols with formaldehyde and piperazine. Treatment of ligands 1 and 2 with Pd(OAc)₂ in 1:1 molar ratio afforded neutral palladium complexes [Pd{(OC₁₀H₆)CH₂(μ-NC₄H₈N)CH₂(C₁₀H₆O)}] (3) and [Pd{(5-^tBuC₆H₃-2-O)CH₂(μ-NC₄H₈N)CH₂(5-^tBuC₆H₃-2-O)}] (4) in good yield. The palladium complexes 3 and 4 are employed in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions between phenylboronic acid and several aryl chlorides or bromides. They are found to be competent homogeneous catalysts for a variety of substrates to afford the coupled products in good to excellent yields. The crystal structures of compounds 2 and 4 are also reported.