The ioni
c[Pd(C
7H
8C(O)R)(Ar-BIAN)]X (R= Me, Et,
iPr, Ph; X = Cl, Br, I; Ar =
p-An,
p-FC
6H
4,
p-BrC
6H
4,
p-Tol, Ph,
o,o'-Me
2C
6H
3,
o,o'-
iPr
2C
6H
3)
complexes (
1b-
12b), bearing thebidentate nitrogen ligand bis(arylimino)a
cenaphthene(Ar-BIAN), have been synthesized viarea
ction of the
corresponding neutral a
cylpalladium
complexesPd(C(O)R)X(Ar-BIAN) (
1a-
12a) with norbornadiene (nbd). For the first time, anextensive kineti
c study of this migratoryalkene insertion into a
cyl-palladium bonds of neutral
complexes
containing
chars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-diimine ligandshas been
carried out. It has been found that underpseudo-first-order
cir
cumstan
ces theserea
ctions follow the rate law
kobsd =
k1 +
k2[nbd],whi
ch shows that these rea
ctions pro
ceedvia a pathway independent of alkene
con
centration(
k1 pathway) and a pathwaydependenton alkene
con
centration (
k2 pathway). Thedramati
c de
crease of the rate
constants
k1and
k2 upon in
creasing the steri
c bulk of the BIANligand and the large negative entropy ofa
ctivation and low enthalpy of a
ctivation for both pathways indi
catethat the
k1 and
k2pathways are
closely related and involve asso
ciative pro
cesses.From the influen
ce of solvent,X and C(O)R ligand, steri
c and ele
ctroni
c properties of the BIANligand, the presen
ce offree halide and free BIAN, and the parameters of a
ctivation, me
chanismshave been proposedfor both pathways. The
k1 pathway maypro
ceed via a rate-determining solvent-assistedhalide or nitrogen disso
ciation, followed by alkene asso
ciation andmigratory insertion, whilethe
k2 pathway may o
ccur via a rate-determiningmigratory alkene insertion in a
conta
ction pair intermediate. This spe
cies may be formed via alkeneasso
ciation followed by eitherhalide or nitrogen disso
ciation.