A palladium-catalyzed (2 + 2 + 1) cycloaddition reaction oftwo C
2H
2 and one SnR
2 to form
C-unsubstitutedstannoles (C
4H
4)SnR
2 [R =CH(SiMe
3)
2 2a, R
2={C(SiMe
3)
2CH
2}
22c] is described. Catalysts are
(R'
2PC2H4PR'
2)Pd complexes (slow reaction)
and(R'
3P)2Pdcomplexes (fast reaction). The mechanism of the catalysis hasbeenelucidated in detail from stoichiometric reactions based on R =CH(SiMe
3)
2. For the
[(R'
2PC2H4PR'
2)Pd]-catalyzedsystem, the starting Pd(0)-ethene complexes(R'
2PC
2H
4PR'
2)Pd(C
2H
4)(R' =
iPr (
3),
tBu(
4)) react both with ethyneto give the Pd(0)-ethyne derivatives(R'
2PC
2H
4PR'
2)Pd(C
2H
2)(R' =
iPr (
5),
tBu(
6))
and with SnR
2 to yield thePd(0)-Sn(II) adducts(R'
2PC
2H
4PR'
2)Pd=SnR
2(R' =
iPr (
7),
tBu(
8)). The Pd-Sn bond [2.481(2) Å] of
7 is veryshort, indicative of partial multiple bonding. Subsequentreactions of the Pd(0)-ethyne complexes
5 and6 withSnR
2 or of the Pd(0)-Sn(II) complexes
7 and 8 with ethyne afford the1,2-palladastannete complexes(R'
2PC
2H
4PR'
2)Pd(CH=CH)SnR
2(
Pd-Sn) (R' =
iPr(
10),
tBu (
11)). Thederivative with R' = Me (
9) has also beensynthesized.In
10 a Pd-Sn single bond [2.670(1) Å] ispresent. Complexes
10 and 11 (as well as
7 and 8 but not
9) reactslowlywith additional ethyne at 20
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C to reform the Pd(0)-ethynecomplexes
5 and 6 with concomitant generation ofthestannole (C
4H
4)SnR
2(
2a). Likely intermediates of this reaction are thePd(0)-
2-stannole complexes(R'
2PC
2H
4PR'
2)Pd(
2-C
4H
4SnR
2)(R' =
iPr (
12),
tBu(
13)), which have been synthesized independently. Thestannole lig
andin
12,
13 is easily displaced by ethyne to yield
5 or
6 or by SnR
2 to yield
7 or
8. Thus, the isolated complexes
5-
8and 10-
13 are conceivable intermediates of thecatalytic stannole formation,
and from their stoichiometricreactionsthe catalysis cycle can be assembled. For the
[(R'
3P)2Pd]-catalyzedsystem, the corresponding intermediates(Me
3P)
2Pd(C
2H
2) (
15),(
iPr
3P)
2Pd(C
2H
2)(
17), (Me
3P)
2Pd=SnR
2(
18),(
iPr
3P)
2Pd=SnR
2(
20),
and(Me
3P)
2Pd(CH=CH)SnR
2(
Pd-Sn) (
19) have beenisolated or detected by NMR,
and(
iPr
3P)
2Pd(CH=CH)SnR
2(
Pd-Sn) (
21) ispostulated asan intermediate. The [(Me
3P)
2Pd]system (stannole formation above 0
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C) is catalytically more activethan any ofthe[(R'
2PC
2H
4PR'
2)Pd]systems (slow stannole formation for R' =
tBu at 20
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C). Most active is the[(
iPr
3P)
2Pd]system, allowing a catalytic synthesis of the stannole
2afrom SnR
2 and ethyne at -30
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C [1% of
17;yield
2a:87%; TON (turnover number): 87]. By carrying out the catalysisin pentane at 20
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C (0.04% of
17), the TONisincreased to 1074 but the yield of
2a is diminished to 43%due to uncatalyzed thermal side reactions.