Diazoalkane chemistry of palladium: synthesis of a diphosphinomethanide complex from dimethyl diazomalonate by N2 loss and proton transfer

The reaction of (dtbpm-κ2P)Pd(CH2SiMe3)2 (1) [dtbpm=bis(di-t-butylphosphino)methane] with dimethyl diazomalonate (2) yields dinitrogen and the diphosphinomethanide palladium(II) complex [HC(PtBu2)2-κ2P]Pd[(MeO2C)2CH-κ2O] (3). Its molecular structure in the solid state was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.