Phosphinito- and phosphonito-oxazoline Pd(II) complexes as CO/ethylene insertion intermediates: synthesis and structural characterization

The phosphinito-oxazoline ligand 4,4-dimethyl-2-methoxy(diphenylphosphine)]-4,5-dihydrooxazole (2a) and the phosphonite-oxazoline ligand 4,4-dimethyl-2-methoxy(6H-dibenzc,e]1,2]oxaphosphorin)]-4,5-dihydrooxazole (8a) were prepared by deprotonation of (4,5-dihydro-4,4-dimethyloxazol-2-yl)methanol (1a) and reaction with the corresponding P-Cl function, similar to the ligands 2b (4,4-dimethyl-2-1-oxy(diphenylphosphine)-1-methylethyl]-4,5-dihydrooxazole) and 8b (4,4-dimethyl-2-1-oxy(6H-dibenzc,e]1,2]oxaphosphorin)-1-methylethyl]-4,5-dihydrooxazole) reported previously. These ligands react with PdClX(COD)] to give complexes of the type PdClX(P,N)] (3a P,N = 2a, X = Cl; 4a P,N = 2a, X = Me; 4b P,N = 2b , X = Me; 9a P,N = 8a, X = Cl; 9b P,N = 8b, X = Cl; 10a P,N = 8a, X = Me; 10b P,N = 8b, X = Me). Complexes 4a,b and 10a,b reacted with AgCF(3)SO(3) to yield PdMe(P,N)OSO(2)CF(3)] 5a,b and 11a,b, respectively. From the stepwise insertion reaction of CO and ethylene into the Pd-C bond of 5a and 11a,b, the alkyl ketone chelate complexes Pd{CH(2)CH(2)C(O)Me}(P,N)]CF(3)SO(3) 7a and 14a,b respectively, have been isolated and spectroscopically characterized. Complexes 3a.CH(2)Cl(2), 5a, 9b, 10a,b, PdMe(H(2)O)(P,N)]CF(3)SO(3) 12b, (P,N = 8b) and 14a,b have also been characterized by X-ray crystallography and the structures of 14a,b represent still rare examples of structurally characterized CO/ethylene coupling products.