Chiral 1,2-bis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphinimino]cyclohexane (
7a, 80% yield), 1,2-bis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphinimino]-1,2-diphenylethane (
7b, 74% yield), 1,2-bis[triphenoxyphosphinimino]cyclohexane (
9a, 85% yield), and 1,2-bis[triphenoxyphosphinimino]-1,2-diphenylethane (
9b, 70% yield) have been prepared using (1
R,2
R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane or(1
R,2
R)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine and the corresponding phosphine dibromide derivatives(the
Kirsanov route). 1,2-Bis[triphenylphosphinimino]cyclohexane (
2), 1,2-bis[triphenylphosphinimino]-1,2-diphenylethane (
3), and 1,2-diiminophosphoranes
7b and
9b reacted with[Pd(
3-C
3H
5)Cl]
2 in the presence of a silver salt in CH
2Cl
2 at room temperature to afford thecationic complexes
10 (81% yield),
11 (84% yields),
15 (78% yield), and
16 (74% yield),respectively. According to the same general procedure, palladium complexes [(
3-PhCHCHCHPh)(
2)Pd]TfO (
13, 88% yield) and [(
3-PhCHCHCHPh)(
3)Pd]TfO (
14, 86% yield)have been prepared. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of derivatives
10,
11, and
13have been carried out. They revealed that
C2 symmetry was retained for derivative
3 uponcoordination, but lost for
2 in the coordination sphere of the metal.
13C NMR chemical shiftsfor the
terminal C atoms of the allyl moiety of these complexes indicate that the donor abilityof 1,2-diiminophosphoranes varies with the nature of the P-substituents and is comparableto that of other sp
2-hybridized nitrogen ligands. 1,2-Diiminophosphoranes were evaluatedas ligands for the Pd-catalyzed enantioselective allylic substitution reaction of
rac-1,3-diphenylprop-2-enyl acetate with the anion of dimethyl malonate. Ligands
3 and
7a,
b inducegood catalytic activities compared with other N,N-ligands but moderate ee's (10-77%) at36
C. Higher ee's (85%) were obtained at room temperature with ligand
3 but at the expenseof the catalytic activity. This study revealed that 1,2-diimonophosphoranes are able tostabilize Pd(0) species during a catalytic process and to induce notable levels of enantioselectivity.