Kinetic and mechanistic studies of geometrical isomerism in neutral square-planar methylpalladium complexes bearing unsymmetrical bidentate ligands of alpha-aminoaldimines.

A series of hemilabile ligands of alpha-aminoaldimines and their methylpalladium complexes have been prepared and characterized. Neutral square-planar methylpalladium complexes in the form of [R(1)R(2)NCMe(2)CH horizontal lineNR]Pd(Me)Cl (R = Me, R(1) = R(2) = Me (3a); R = Me, R(1) = R(2) = Et (3b); R = Et, R(1) = R(2) = Me (4a); R = (n)Pr, R(1) = R(2) = Me (5a); R = (i)Pr, R(1) = R(2) = Me (6a); R = (i)Pr, R(1) = R(2) = Et (6b); R = (i)Pr, (R(1), R(2)) = c-C(4)H(8) (6c); R = (i)Pr, R(1) = (i)Pr, R(2) = H (6d); R = (i)Pr, R(1) = (t)Bu, R(2) = H (6e); R = (t)Bu, R(1) = R(2) = Me (7a); R = (t)Bu, R(1) = R(2) = Et (7b); R = (t)Bu, (R(1), R(2)) = c-C(4)H(8) (7c); R = (t)Bu, R(1) = (i)Pr, R(2) = H (7d); R = (t)Bu, R(1) = (t)Bu, R(2) = H (7e); R = Ph, R(1) = R(2) = Me (8a); R = Ph, R(1) = R(2) = Et (8b)) show geometrical isomerism. The relative ratios of trans/cis isomers appear to be predominated by the steric hindrance between the Pd-bound methyl group and imino or amino substituents (R and R(1) and R(2)). The NMR studies for the substitution reaction of (COD)Pd(Me)Cl with Et(2)NCMe(2)CH horizontal lineN(i)Pr at -20 degrees C indicate that cis-6b is the major kinetic product, which isomerizes to the thermodynamic product in trans form quantitatively above -5 degrees C. Kinetic results show that the ligand substitution reaction likely undergoes an associative pathway, and the isomerization reaction proceeds via an intramolecular process that comprises imine dissociation and recoordination.