Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS)
Abstract
The synthesis of an air-stable series of Pd-0 complexes with dissymmetric bidentate N-heterocyclic carbene-amine ligands has been performed. The key step is an unprecedented carbene transfer from Ag-1 to obtain electron-rich zero-valent palladium precatalysts. The coordination behavior of the ligands was determined with X-ray crystallography. Surprising results were obtained in the catalysis of transfer semi-hydrogenation, where the addition of base appeared not to be necessary to obtain the desired product stereoselectively.