The mixed ylide-pyridinium salts [Ph
3P=C(H)C(O)CH
2NC
5H
5]Cl (
2a) and [Ph
3As=C(H)C(O)CH
2NC
5H
5]Br (
15) have been prepared by reaction of the P and As ylides [Ph
3P=C(H)C(O)CH
2Cl] and[Ph
3As=C(H)C(O)CH
2Br] (
14), respectively, with pyridine. These ylides react with Pd(II) salts in thepresence of bases, affording the four-membered C,C-chelated complexes
cis-[PdCl
2{
2-Ph
3EC(H)C(O)C(H)NC
5H
5} (E = P (
3), As (
16)) as single diastereoisomers (meso form,
RS/
SR). Density functionaltheory (DFT) calculations revealed that the same conformational preferences are present in free mixedbis-ylides. We have established the presence of two cooperative intramolecular interactions of moderatestrength by means of Bader analysis of the electron density on model free bis-ylides: the 1,4-E···Ointeractions (E = P, As) and the 1,6-CH···O hydrogen bonds. The intramolecular 1,4-As···O interactionshave been fully characterized for the first time. These interactions play a key role in determining thepreferred conformations, which then are transferred to the complexes. Complex
3 reacts with AgClO
4 togive the dinuclear species [Pd(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-Cl){
2-Ph
3PC(H)C(O)C(H)NC
5H
5}]
2(ClO
4)
2 (
4), which further reactswith L ligands to give [PdCl{
2-Ph
3PC(H)C(O)C(H)NC
5H
5}L](ClO
4) (L = PPh
3 (
6), PPhMe
2 (
7)) assingle geometric isomers. The molecular structure of
6 has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods.Complex
6 evolves in refluxing NCMe to give the ortho-metalated derivative [PdCl(C
6H
4-2-PPh
2C(H)C(O)CH
2NC
5H
5)(PPh
3)]ClO
4 (
18). In addition, ylide
2a reacts with PtCl
2 in refluxing2-methoxyethanol to give the ortho-platinated complex [Pt(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-Cl)(C
6H
4-2-PPh
2C(H)C(O)CH
2NC
5H
5)](Cl)
2(
20). The role of the electronic and steric factors in the cleavage of the halide bridging system in
4 andin the ortho-metalation reactions affording
18 and
20 is also discussed.