Metal complexes of biologically important ligands: Synthesis of amino acidato complexes of Pd containing a C,N-cyclometallated group as an ancillary ligand

New amino acidato complexes of Pd^II of stoichiometry [Pd(C---N)(Aa)] (C---N=C,N-cyclometallated ligand, Aa = N,O-amino acidato ligand) have been obtained by reaction of [Pd(C---N)(acac)] (C---N=N,N-dimethylbenzylamine-C²,N (dmba) (1) or N,N-dimethyl(S--phenylethyl)amine-C²,N (S-dmphea) (2)) with glycine, chiral amino acids (alanine, phenylalanine and valine), and amino acid derivatives (N-acetylglycine and N-acetyl-,β-dehydroalanine) in MeOH. The compounds are characterized by IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The geometry of these complexes has been unambiguously determined by NOE difference experiments and NOESY measurements.