ortho-Metallated triphenylphosphine chalcogenide complexes of platinum and palladium: synthesis and catalytic activity.

Treatment of [PtI2(COD)] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with 2-LiC6H4P(S)Ph2 gives the complex cis-[Pt{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(S)Ph2}2] () containing a pair of ortho-metallated triphenylphosphine sulfide rings. The selenium counterpart, [Pt{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(Se)Ph2}2] (), which exists as cis- and trans-isomers in solution, and the palladium analogues, cis-[Pd{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(X)Ph2}2] [X = S (), Se ()], are obtained by transmetallation of [MCl2(COD)] with the organotin reagent 2-Me3SnC6H4P(X)Ph2 in a 1 : 2 mol ratio. The reaction of [PdCl2(COD)] with 2-Me3SnC6H4P(X)Ph2 in a 1 : 1 mol ratio, and the reaction of with palladium(ii) acetate, give dinuclear, anion-bridged complexes [Pd2(μ-Cl)2{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(X)Ph2}2] [X = S (), Se ()] and [Pd2(μ-OAc)2{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(S)Ph2}2] (), respectively. Complexes and could not be made directly from triphenylphosphine sulfide by standard ortho-palladation procedures. The bridging framework in complexes and is cleaved by tertiary phosphines to give mononuclear derivatives [PdCl{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(X)Ph2}(PR3)] [X = S, R = Ph (); X = Se, R = Ph (); X = Se, R = 4-tolyl ()]. The selenium-containing compounds and decompose slowly in solution giving dinuclear complexes [PdCl(μ2-Se-κ(2)-P,Se-2-SeC6H4PPh2)PdCl(μ-2-C6H4PPh2)(PR3)] [R = Ph (), 4-tolyl ()]. The structure of complex establishes that the bridging 2-C6H4PPh2 group is generated by reduction of the phosphine selenide unit, not by ortho-metallation of the coordinated triphenylphosphine. The chloro-bridges of and are also cleaved by acetylacetonate (acac) and deprotonated Schiff bases forming mononuclear species [Pd{κ(2)-2-C6H4P(X)Ph2}L2] [L2 = acac, X = S (), Se (); L2 = 2-OC6H4CH[double bond, length as m-dash]NC6H4-4-R, X = S, R = OMe (), NO2 (); X = Se, R = OMe (), NO2 ()]. The ability of complexes , and the Schiff base-derivatives to catalyse Heck-Mizoroki and Suzuki-Miyaura C-C bond-forming reactions has also been investigated.