Palladium(II) complexes with a phosphino-oxime ligand: synthesis, structure and applications to the catalytic rearrangement and dehydration of aldoximes

The treatment of [PdCl2(COD)] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with 1 and 2 equivalents of 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde oxime in dichloromethane at room temperature led to the selective formation of [PdCl2{κ2-(P,N)-2-Ph2PC6H4CH[double bond, length as m-dash]NOH}] (1) and [Pd{κ2-(P,N)-2-Ph2PC6H4CH[double bond, length as m-dash]NOH}2][Cl]2 (2), respectively, which represent the first examples of Pd(II) complexes containing a phosphino-oxime ligand. These compounds, whose structures were fully confirmed by X-ray diffraction methods, were active in the catalytic rearrangement of aldoximes. In particular, using 5 mol% complex 1, a large variety of aldoximes could be cleanly converted into the corresponding primary amides at 100 °C, employing water as solvent and without the assistance of any cocatalyst. Palladium nanoparticles are the active species in the rearrangement process. In addition, when the same reactions were performed employing acetonitrile as solvent, selective dehydration of the aldoximes to form the respective nitriles was observed. For comparative purposes, the catalytic behaviour of an oxime-derived palladacyclic complex has also been briefly evaluated.

Palladium(II) oxide impregnated on magnetite as a catalyst for the synthesis of 4-arylcoumarins via a Heck-arylation/cyclization process

Heck-arylation/cyclization was achieved using heterogeneous palladium(II) oxide impregnated on magnetite catalyst (2.5 mol%) with a lower catalyst loading than that reported for similar processes. Ethanol was used as a non-toxic and bio-renewable solvent. Good yields were afforded using a broad range of substrates (40–98%). The catalyst could be partially recycled, and analyses confirmed the almost total reduction of palladium(II) oxide to palladium(0) as well as the iodine poissoning effect, which is the main barrier to complete recyclability.

New hybrid materials based on the grafting of Pd(II)-amino complexes on the graphitic surface of AC: preparation, structures and catalytic properties

A novel procedure for the preparation of solid Pd(II)-based catalysts consisting of the anchorage of designed Pd(II)-complexes on an activated carbon (AC) surface is reported. Two molecules of the Ar–S–F type (where Ar is a plane-pyrimidine moiety, F a Pd(II)-ligand and S an aliphatic linker) differing in F, were grafted on AC by π–π stacking of the Ar moiety and the graphene planes of the AC, thus favouring the retaining of the metal-complexing ability of F. Adsorption of Pd(II) by the AC/Ar–S–F hybrids occurs via Pd(II)-complexation by F. After deep characterization, the catalytic activities of the AC/Ar–S–F/Pd(II) hybrids on the hydrogenation of 1-octene in methanol as a catalytic test were evaluated. 100% conversion to n-octane at T = 323.1 K and P = 15 bar, was obtained with both catalysts and most of Pd(II) was reduced to Pd(0) nanoparticles, which remained on the AC surface. Reusing the catalysts in three additional cycles reveals that the catalyst bearing the F ligand with a larger Pd-complexing ability showed no loss of activity (100% conversion to n-octane) which is assigned to its larger structural stability. The catalyst with the weaker F ligand underwent a progressive loss of activity (from 100% to 79% in four cycles), due to the constant aggregation of the Pd(0) nanoparticles. Milder conditions, T = 303.1 K and P = 1.5 bar, prevent the aggregation of the Pd(0) nanoparticles in this catalyst allowing the retention of the high catalytic efficiency (100% conversion) in four reaction cycles.