One-step assembly of a chiral palladium bis(acyclic diaminocarbene) complex and its unexpected oxidation to a bis(amidine) complex.

Addition of trans-N,N'-dimethyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane to a palladium bis(arylisocyanide) complex leads to the one-step formation of the first chiral bis(acyclic diaminocarbene) complex, which is thermally stable under N(2) but undergoes slow oxidation to a bis(amidine) complex under air.