Reactivity of an anionic Pd(ii) metallacycle with CH2X2 (X = Cl, Br, I): formal insertion of methylene into a Pd–Caryl bond

Abstract

Whereas the reaction of the anionic palladium metallacycle [K{Pd(CH₂CMe₂-o-C₆H₄)(κ²-Tp)}] with CH₂Cl₂ leads to the isolation of the stable Pd(IV) chloromethyl complex [Pd(CH₂CMe₂-o-C₆H₄)(κ³-Tp)(CH₂Cl)], the analogous reactions with CH₂Br₂ and CH₂I₂ give rise to the six membered metallacycles [Pd(CH₂CMe₂-o-C₆H₄(CH₂))(κ³-Tp)X] (X = Br or I), as a result of the formal insertion of CH₂ into the Pd–C_aryl bond.