Crystal structure of a dicationic PdII dimer containing a 2-[(diisopropylphosphanyl)methyl]quinoline-8-thiolate pincer ligand.

A dicationic PdII dimer, bis{2-[(diisopropylphosphanyl)methyl]quinoline-8-thiolato}palladium(II) bis(hexafluoridoantimonate) dichloromethane monosolvate, [Pd2(C32H42N2P2S2)](SbF6)2·CH2Cl2, containing a 2-[(diisopropylphos-phanyl)methyl]quinoline-8-thiolate pincer ligand, was isolated and its crystal structure determined. The title compound crystallizes in the ortho-rhom-bic space group Pbca. A dimeric structure is formed by bridging coordination of the S atoms. The geometry of the butterfly-shaped Pd2S2 core is bent, with a hinge angle of 108.0 (1)° and a short Pd⋯Pd distance of 2.8425 (7) Å. These values are the lowest measured compared to ten dicationic dimers with a Pd2S2 core featuring sulfur atoms embedded in a chelating ligand. One of the two hexa-fluorido-anti-monate anions is disordered over two sets of positions with site-occupancy factors of 0.711 (5) and 0.289 (5). The crystal structure is stabilized by many C-H⋯F and C-H⋯π inter-actions, forming a supra-molecular network.

Metal-ligand-Lewis acid multi-cooperative catalysis: a step forward in the Conia-ene reaction.

An original multi-cooperative catalytic approach was developed by combining metal-ligand cooperation and Lewis acid activation. The [(SCS)Pd]2 complex featuring a non-innocent indenediide-based ligand was found to be a very efficient and versatile catalyst for the Conia-ene reaction, when associated with Mg(OTf)2. The reaction operates at low catalytic loadings under mild conditions with HFIP as a co-solvent. It works with a variety of substrates, including those bearing internal alkynes. It displays complete 5-exo vs. 6-endo regio-selectivity. In addition, except for the highly congested t Bu-substituent, the reaction occurs with high Z vs. E stereo-selectivity, making it synthetically useful and complementary to known catalysts.