Oxidative dinuclear addition of a PdI-PdI moiety to arenes: generation of μ-η3:η3-arene-Pd(II)2 species.

We report the oxidative dinuclear addition of a Pd(I)-Pd(I) bond to arenes. The oxidative dinuclear addition products, which have a bi-π-allyl-type arene dipalladium(II) structure, were obtained from [2.2]paracyclophane, anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene.

Discrete sandwich compounds of monolayer palladium sheets.

Despite the abundance of "sandwich" complexes, in which two cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ligands flank a metal center, this motif has not been extended to sheets of multiple metal atoms. We prepared and isolated two such compounds. In the first, three palladium centers form a planar triangular array, capped by chlorides, between two cycloheptatrienyl ligands.

Reversible carbon-carbon bond formation between 1,3-dienes and aldehyde or ketone on nickel(0).

The reversible oxidative cyclization of dienes and aldehydes with nickel(0) proceeded to give eta(3):eta(1)-allylalkoxynickel complexes. The treatment of these complexes with carbon monoxide led to the formation of the corresponding lactone and/or the regeneration of a butadiene and an aldehyde concomitant with the formation of Ni(CO)(3)(PCy(3)). The scission of the nickel-oxygen bond of the allylalkoxy complexes with ZnMe(2) leading to eta(3)-allyl(methyl)nickel was very efficient to suppress the reverse reaction of the oxidative cyclization.

Dimerization of terminal alkynes catalyzed by a nickel complex having a bulky phosphine ligand.

Ni(cod)(2)/P(t)Bu(3) system catalyzed the dimerization of terminal alkynes to give (E)-head-to-head dimerization products, in which the stannylacetylene dimer could be applied to a one-pot synthesis of a conjugated enyne, when combined with Migita-Stille coupling.

Direct observation of oxidative cyclization of eta2-alkene and eta2-aldehyde on Ni(0) center. Significant acceleration by addition of Me3SiOTf.

Direct oxidative cyclization of (eta2:eta2-CH2=CHCH2C6H4CHO)Ni(PR3) to form the nickelacycle and drastic acceleration of the cyclization by the addition of Me3SiOTf were observed. (eta2-PhCHO)Ni(PCy3)2 also reacted with Me3SiOTf to give (eta1:eta1-Me3SiOCH(Ph))Ni(PCy3)OTf.