Transition metal promoted reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons : II. Insertion of bicyclic olefins into allylic-palladium and -platinum bonds

Addition of strained olefins, based on norbornene, norbornadiene,benzonorbornadiene or bicyclo 2.2.2] octene skeletons to π-allylic(hexafluoroacetylacetonato) palladium(II) complexes (π-All)Pd(Hfacac)], gives “enyl” products derived from “insertion” of the olefin into the least substituted terminal allylicpalladium bond. The reaction involves an initial rapid and reversible formation of (gs-allyl)(π-olefin)Pd(Hfacac). The rate-determining step involves migration of a σ-allylic carbon atom from Pd to the coordinated olefin in a concerted cis—exo addition of PdC across the double bond. Remote electronegative substituents on the olefin do not affect the coordinative ability of the olefin towards Pd. They do however inhibit the migration of the σ-allylic ligand to the coordinated olefin. This observation is interpreted in terms of a small degree of polarization of the π-olefin—Pd bond in the transition state for the σ-allyl migration.