Cationic (fluoromesityl)palladium(II) complexes

Halide abstraction from Pd(μ-Cl)(Fmes)(NCMe)]₂ (Fmes = 2,4,6-tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl or nonafluoromesityl) with TlBF₄ in CH₂Cl₂/MeCN gives Pd(Fmes)(NCMe)₃]BF₄, which reacts with monodentate ligands to give the monosubstituted products trans-Pd(Fmes)L(NCMe)₂]BF₄ (L = PPh₃, P(o-Tol)₃, 3,5-lut, 2,4-lut, 2,6-lut; lut = dimethylpyridine), the disubstituted products trans-Pd(Fmes)(NCMe)(PPh₃)₂]BF₄, cis-Pd(Fmes)(3,5-lut)₂(NCMe)]BF₄, or the trisubstituted products Pd(Fmes)L₃]BF₄ (L = CN^tBu, PHPh₂, 3,5-lut, 2,4-lut). Similar reactions using bidentate chelating ligands give Pd(Fmes)(L-L)(NCMe)]BF₄ (L-L = bipy, tmeda, dppe, OPPhPy₂-N,N′, (OH)(CH₃)CPy₂-N,N′). The complexes trans-Pd(Fmes)L₂(NCMe)]BF₄ (L = PPh₃, tht) (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) and Pd(Fmes)(L-L)(NCMe)]BF₄ (L-L = bipy, tmeda) were obtained by halide extraction with TlBF₄ in CH₂Cl₂/MeCN from the corresponding neutral halogeno complexes trans-Pd(Fmes)ClL₂] or Pd(Fmes)Cl(L-L)]. The aqua complex trans-Pd(Fmes)(OH₂)(tht)₂]BF₄ was isolated from the corresponding acetonitrile complex. Overall, the experimental results on these substitution reactions involving bulky ligands suggest that thermodynamic and kinetic steric effects can prevail affording products or intermediates different from those expected on purely electronic considerations. Thus,water, whether added on purpose or adventitious in the solvent, frequently replaces in part other better donor ligands, suggesting that the smaller congestion with water compensates for the smaller M-OH₂ bond energy.