Synthesis of Pd3Tl and Pd6Tl2 complexes based on a trinuclear aryl-palladium(II) complex acting as a metallaligand toward thallium(I) through Tl-arene and Tl-I bonds.

The metallaligand [(PdIL(2))(3)(C(6)Me(3)-1,3,5)] (L(2) = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2-2'-bipyridine = tbbpy) reacts with TlOTf to afford the complex [{(PdIL(2))(3)C(6)Me(3)-1,3,5}Tl]OTf, which exists in the solid state as a 2:1 mixture of monomer and dimer, both showing Tl(I)-I and Tl(I)-η(6)-mesitylene bonds. In solution, only the monomer is observed. Heating of toluene solutions of [(PdIL(2))(3)(C(6)Me(3)-1,3,5)] affords the dinuclear complex [(PdIL(2))(2)(C(6)HMe(3)-1,3,5)].