Postmodification Approach to Charge-Tagged 1,2,4-Triazole-Derived NHC Palladium(II) Complexes and Their Applications

Abstract

Charge-tagged bis(1,2,4-triazolin-5-ylidene)palladium(II) complexes have been successfully synthesized via a postmodification strategy. Reacting PdBr2 with bromo-functionalized 1,2,4-triazolium salts A·HBr and B·HBr in the presence of silver oxide afforded the bis(carbene)palladium(II) complexes trans-[PdBr2(A)2] (1a) and trans-[PdBr2(B)2] (1b), which contain tethered bromoalkyl chains. Subsequent postcoordinative nucleophilic substitution converted the bromo into ammonium groups, producing the water-soluble complexes trans-[PdBr2(C)2]Br2 (2a) and trans-[PdBr2(D)2]Br2 (2b), while attempts to prepare ammonium-functionalized triazolium salts for direct metalation were futile. All four complexes were fully characterized by means of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, ESI mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The presence of trans-anti and trans-syn rotameric complexes in solution was elucidated by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. Additionally, the two charge-tagged complexes, 2a,b, were found to be highly active precatalysts for the Suzuki–Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck reactions in iPrOH/H2O and molten TBAB as an ionic liquid.