A mixed palladium(0) palladium(II) bis-diphosphaferrocene complex

Reaction of octa-n-propyl-diphosphaferrocene (1) with [Pd(COD)Cl2] affords a dimeric species 2 featuring two trans-[PdCl2] fragments and two diphosphaferrocenes. Reaction of 2 with [Pd(dba)2] yields a trimetallic complex 3. An X-ray crystal structure study reveals that 3 features a central palladium atom that does not interact with the two peripheral [PdCl2] fragments. Complex 3 can also be formed from the reaction of two equivalents of [Pd(COD)Cl2] with the bis-(octa-n-propyl-diphosphaferrocene)Pd(0) complex.