Mononuclear palladacycles of N,N′-diaryl-2-iminoisoindolines

Reaction of acetato-bridged dinuclear palladacycles, [Pd(iminoisoindoline)(μ-OAc)]2, with stoichiometric amounts of PR3 (where R = Ph or Cy) resulted in formation of the corresponding mononuclear phosphine-ligated, six-membered palladacycles with the general formula [Pd(iminoisoindoline)(OAc)PR3]. The analogous chloride complexes were synthesized by reaction of [Pd(iminoisoindoline)(μ-OAc)]2 with LiCl in acetone followed by addition of phosphine to afford the monomeric derivatives [Pd(iminoisoindoline)(Cl)PR3]. Representative crystal structures of both types of mononuclear palladacycles confirmed the mononuclear nature of the complexes and showed a trans-arrangement of the phosphine ligand to the heterocyclic imine-nitrogen of the palladacycles.