Insertion of isocyanides into the palladium-(2-pyridyl) bond

The reaction of the pyridyl-bridged binuclear complex PdBr(μ-2-C₅H₄N)(PPh₃)]₂ with isocyynides CNR (R  p-C₆H₄OMe, Me, C₆H₁₁) yields the complex $\text{PdBr}${(&2.dbnd;NR)C(&2.dbnd;NR) (2-C₅H₄N)}(PPh₃)] containing a C,N-chelated 1,2-bis(imino)-2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl group, which results from successive insertions of two isocyanides molecules into the palladium2-pyridyl bond. The mononuclear compound trans-PdBr(2-C₅H₄N)(PMePh₂)₂] readily reacts with various CNR ligands (R  p-C₆H₄OMe, Me, C₆H₁₁, CMe₃) to give the imino(2-pyridyl)methylpalladium(II) derivatives, trans-Pdbr{C(=NR)(2-C₅H₄N)} (PMePh₂)₂].