The phosphorus ylide ligand [Ph
3P=C(CO
2Me)C(=NPh)CO
2Me] (
L1) has been prepared and fully characterizedby spectroscopic, crystallographic, and density functional theory (DFT) methods (B3LYP level). The reactivity of
L1toward several cationic Pd
II and Pt
II precursors, with two vacant coordination sites, has been studied. The reactionof [M(C
![](/images/entities/and.gif)
X)(THF)
2]ClO
4 with
L1 (1:1 molar ratio) gives [M(C
![](/images/entities/and.gif)
X)(
L1)]ClO
4 [M = Pd, C
![](/images/entities/and.gif)
X = C
6H
4CH
2NMe
2 (
1),
S-C
6H
4C(H)MeNMe
2 (
2), CH
2-8-C
9H
6N (
3), C
6H
4-2-NC
5H
4 (
4),
o-CH
2C
6H
4P(
o-tol)
2 (
6),
3-C
3H
5 (
7); M = Pt, C
![](/images/entities/and.gif)
X=
o-CH
2C
6H
4P(
o-tol)
2 (
5); M(C
![](/images/entities/and.gif)
X) = Pd(C
6F
5)(SC
4H
8) (
8), PdCl
2 (
9)]. In complexes
1-
9, the ligand
L1 bondssystematically to the metal center through the iminic N and the
carbonyl O of the stabilizing CO
2Me group, as isevident from the NMR data and from the X-ray structure of
3. Ligand
L1 can also be orthopalladated by reactionwith Pd(OAc)
2 and LiCl, giving the dinuclear derivative [Pd(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-Cl)(
C6H
4-2-PPh
2=C(CO
2Me)C(CO
2Me)=
NPh)]
2 (
10).The X-ray crystal structure of
10 is also reported. In none of the prepared complexes
1-
10 was the C
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
atom foundto be bonded to the metal center. DFT calculations and Bader analysis were performed on ylide
L1 and complex
9 and its congeners in order to assess the preference of the six-membered N,O metallacycle over the four-membered C,N and five-membered C,O rings. The presence of two stabilizing groups at the ylidic C causes areduction of its bonding capabilities. The increasing strength of the Pd-C, Pd-O, and Pd-N bonds along withother subtle effects are responsible for the relative stabilities of the different bonding modes.