Ligand Exchange Reaction on the Planar Palladium Cluster Molecules

Abstract

Transition metal compounds play an important role as the catalyst for the various organic transformation reactions in both laboratory experiments and industrial applications. It is well known that the ligand exchange is the primary step in many cases of these catalysis. In this paper, the ligand exchange reaction of the CN^tBu ligands on the planar tetranuclear palladium cluster, Pd₄[Si(ⁱPr₂)]₃(CN^tBu)₄ (1), to the ⁱPr₂IM^Me ligands have been elucidated. In the course of this reaction, formation of a new Pd₄ cluster Pd₄[Si(ⁱPr₂)]₃(CN^tBu)₂ (ⁱPr₂IM^Me)₃ (3) as intermediary species was confirmed, suggesting that ligand exchange reaction proceeded through the associative mechanism.