Synthesis, characterisation and crystal structures of the palladium(II) phosphite complexes cis-[PdI2{cis-(iPr2PO)2C6H10}] and trans-[Pd2I4{cis-(iPr2PO)2C6H10}2]

Treatment of 2 equiv. of a mixture of the diphosphite cis, trans-1,3-(iPr2PO)2C6H10 with [Pd(CO2CF3)2] and sequential addition of an excess of NaI gives the binuclear 16-atom ring chelate complex trans-[Pd2I4{cis-(iPr2PO)2C6H10}2] (1) and the mononuclear complex cis-[PdI2{cis-(iPr2PO)2C6H10}] (2) exclusively. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography have unambiguously determined the structures of both complexes in solution and in the solid state. The cyclohexane ring orients its 1,3-substituents in a diaxial manner in 2, while the same ring-substituents in 1 are diequatorially oriented.