Chemoselective methoxycarbonylation of terminal alkynes catalyzed by Pd(II)-TROPP complexes.

The mono-phosphanes 5-(diphenyl)-phosphanyl-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene (TROPP(Ph)) and 5-((2-methoxy)phenyl)-phosphanyl-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene (TROPP((2-MeOPh))) have been employed to coordinate PdCl(2), yielding [PdCl(2)(TROPP(Ph))] (1a) and [PdCl(2)(TROPP((2-MeOPh)))] (1b), respectively. The corresponding tosylate (OTs) complexes [Pd(OTs)(2)(TROPP(Ph))] (2a) and [Pd(OTs)(2)(TROPP((2-MeOPh)))] (2b) have been successfully applied in the p-benzoquinone (BQ)-assisted methoxycarbonylation of terminal alkynes to give chemoselectively the corresponding alkynylcarboxylic acid methyl ester with high TOF (up to 980 h(-1)). Unlike 2a/b, the Pd(II)-(tosylate)-diphosphane complexes [Pd(OTs)(H(2)O)(dppp)](OTs) 2c (dppp = 1,3-bis-di(phenylphosphanyl)propane and [Pd(H(2)O)(2)(MeO-dppp)](OTs)(2) 2d (MeO-dppp = 1,3-bis(di(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl)propane) preferentially catalyzed a double alkyne insertion. The "in situ" spectroscopic observation of the Pd-methoxycarbonyl compound [Pd(COOMe)(TROPP(Ph))](OTs) (3a) in conjunction with the evidence of the fast beta-hydride elimination reaction of TROPP-based Pd-catalysts in the dimerization reaction of ethene are indicative for a strongly electrophilic metal centre. The X-ray crystal structures of 1a x 0.5 C(2)H(4)Cl(2) and of the neutral and cationic Pd-alkyl complexes [Pd(Me)(Cl)(TROPP(Ph)) (7a x 0.5 CH(2)Cl(2)) and [Pd(CH(2)CH(2)COMe)(TROPP(Ph))](PF(6)) (10a x 0.5 C(6)H(6)), respectively, confirm unambiguously the bidentate coordination mode of TROPP-ligands to Pd(II), that persists even in the presence of CO pressure.

A novel linkage-isomeric pair of dinuclear Pd(II) complexes bearing a bis-bidentate tetraphos ligand.

The tetraphosphane all trans tetrakis-(di(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl)cyclobutane) (o-MeO-dppcb) has been employed to coordinate metal dichlorides (metal = Ni(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II)), stereoselectively yielding the dinuclear complexes [Ni(2)Cl(4)(micro-(kappaP(1):kappaP(2):kappaP(3):kappaP(4)-o-MeO-dppcb))] and [Pt(2)Cl(4)(micro-(kappaP(1),kappaP(2):kappaP(3),kappaP(4)-o-MeO-dppcb))], characterized by two six and two five-membered metallacycles, respectively. Conversely, the reaction with PdCl(2) led, under comparable synthetic conditions, to the formation of the linkage-isomeric pair [Pd(2)Cl(4)(micro-(kappaP(1),kappaP(2):kappaP(3),kappaP(4)-o-MeO-dppcb))] and [Pd(2)Cl(4)(micro-(kappaP(1):kappaP(2):kappaP(3):kappaP(4)-o-MeO-dppcb))] in a ca. 4 : 1 ratio. The compounds obtained have been characterized in solution by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and in the solid state by CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy, XRPD and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds and have been tested as catalyst precursors for the CO-ethene-propene co-and terpolymerization in water-acetic acid mixtures. Their catalytic performance has been compared to that of [PdCl(2)(o-MeO-dppe)] (o-MeO-dppe = 1,2-(bis(di(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl))ethane) and of [PdCl(2)(o-MeO-dppp)] (o-MeO-dppp = 1,3-bis(di(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl)propane). The most striking result that emerged from the CO-ethene copolymerization study was that was three times more productive than , outperforming, under identical catalytic conditions, even 1b and 1c, that are classified amongst the most active catalysts for the CO-ethene copolymerization reaction.

Ligand effects in the non-alternating CO-ethylene copolymerization by palladium(II) catalysis.

In this paper we report on a comparative study of the non-alternating CO-C(2)H(4) copolymerization catalyzed by neutral Pd(II) complexes with the phosphine-sulfonate ligands bis(o-methoxyphenyl)phosphinophenylenesulfonate and bis(o-methoxyphenyl)phosphino-ethylenesulfonate. The former ligand, featuring a lower skeletal flexibility, has been found to form more active catalysts as well as produce polyketones with higher molecular weight and higher extra-ethylene incorporation. Operando high-pressure NMR studies have allowed us to intercept, for the first time, Pd(II)(phosphine-sulfonate) beta-chelates in the non-alternating copolymerization cycle, while model organometallic reactions have contributed to demonstrate that Pd(II) (phosphine-sulfonate) fragments do not form stable carbonyl complexes. The opening of the beta-chelates has been found to be a viable process by either comonomer, which contrasts with the behaviour of Pd(II) (chelating diphosphine) catalysts for the perfectly alternating copolymerization.