Parent-amido (NH2) palladium(II) complexes: Synthesis,reactions, and catalytic hydroamination

The treatment of PdL₃(NH₃)](OTf)_n (n = 1; L₃ = (PEt₃)₂(Ph), (2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃), n = 2; L₃ = (dppe)(NH₃)) with NaNH₂ in tetrahydrofuran at ambient temperature or ?78 °C afforded the dimeric and monomeric parent-amido palladium(II) complexes anti-Pd(PEt₃)(Ph)(μ-NH₂)]₂ (1), Pd(dppe)(μ-NH₂)]₂(OTf)₂ (2), and Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(NH₂) (3), respectively. The molecular structures of the amido-bridged (μ-NH₂) dimeric complexes 1 and 2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The monomeric amido complex 3 reacted with trace amounts of water to give a hydroxo complex, Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(OH) (4). Exposing complex 3 to an excess of water resulted in the complete conversion of the complex into two species Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(OH₂)]⁺ and Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(NH₃)]⁺. Complex 3 reacted with diphenyliodonium triflate (Ph₂I]OTf) to give the aniline complex Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(NH₂Ph)]OTf. The reaction of 3 with phenylacetylene (HCCPh) yielded a palladium(II) acetylenide Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(CCPh) (5), quantitatively, along with the liberation of ammonia. The reaction of 3 with dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate yielded diastereospecific palladium(II) vinyl derivatives (Z)-Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(CRCR(NH₂)) (R = CO₂Me (6a), CO₂Et (6b)). The reaction of complexes 6a and 6b with p-nitrophenol produced Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(OC₆H₄-p-NO₂) (7) and cis-CHRCR(NH₂), exclusively. Reactions of 3 with either dialkyl maleate (cis-(CO₂R)CHCH(CO₂R)) (R = CH₃, CH₂CH₃) or cis-stilbene (cis-CHPhCHPh) did not result in any addition product. Instead, isomerization of the cis-isomers to the trans-isomers occurred in the presence of catalytic amounts of 3. Complex 3 reacted with a stoichiometric amount of acrylonitrile (CH₂CHCN) to generate a metastable insertion product, Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(CH(CN)CH₂NH₂). On the other hand, the reaction of 3 with an excess of acrylonitrile slowly produced polymeric species of acrylonitrile. The catalytic hydroamination of olefins with NH₃ was examined in the presence of Pd(2,6-(Cy₂PCH₂)₂C₆H₃)(OTf), producing a range of hydroaminated products of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines with different molar ratios of more than 99% overall yield. A mechanistic feature for the observed catalytic hydroamination is described with regard to the aminated derivatives of palladium(II).