E-H (E = B, Si, Ge) bond activation of pinacolborane, silanes, and germanes by nucleophilic palladium carbene complexes.

The reactivity of two nucleophilic palladium carbenes, [PC(sp(2))P]Pd(PMe3) and [PC(sp(2))P]Pd(PPh3), where [PC(sp(2))P] = bis[2-(di-iso-propylphosphino)phenyl]methylene, toward the E-H bond activation of Ph4-nEHn (E = Si, Ge; n = 1-3) and pinacolborane (HBpin) is discussed. Unlike previous reports, both types of isomer species, hydride [PC(EHn-1Ph4-n)P]PdH or [PC(Bpin)P]PdH and silyl/germyl [PC(H)P]Pd(EHn-1Ph4-n), were observed depending on the substrate and the phosphine ligand, showing that the polarity of the Pd-C bond can be tuned by the phosphine substituents.