Cyclopentadienyl allyl palladium

Cyclopentadienyl allyl palladium is an organopalladium compound with formula (C₅H₅)Pd(C₃H₅). This reddish solid is volatile with an unpleasant odor. It is soluble in common organic solvents. The molecule consists of a Pd centre sandwiched between a Cp and allyl ligands.

Preparation

This complex is produced by the reaction of allylpalladium chloride dimer with sodium cyclopentadienide:

2 C₅H₅Na (C₃H₅)₂Pd₂Cl₂ → 2 (C₅H₄)Pd(C₃H₅) 2 NaCl

Structure and reactions

The 18-electron complex adopts a half-sandwich structure with C_s symmetry, i.e., the molecule has a plane of symmetry. The complex can be decomposed readily by reductive elimination.

C₃H₅PdC₃H₅ → Pd(0) C₅H₅C₃H₅

The compound readily reacts with alkyl isocyanides to produce clusters with the approximate formula [Pd(CNR)₂]_n. It reacts with bulky alkyl phosphines to produce two-coordinated palladium(0) complexes:

CpPd(allyl) 2 PR₃ → Pd(PR₃)₂ C₅H₅C₃H₅

The compound has been used to deposit thin film chemical vapor deposition of metallic palladium.

References