Diastereoselective formation of a dipalladium(I) complex supported by a bridging tetradentate ligand, and oxidative addition of RS–H across a phosphine-bridged PdI–PdI bond

The ligand CH2(P(o-C6H4NMe2)2)2(dmapm) gives access to the first example of a dipalladium(I) complex supported by a tetradentate ligand, Pd2Cl2(mu-N,P,P,N-dmapm), which, unlike the well-known Pd2X2(mu-dppm)2 complexes (X = halide, dppm = bis(diphenylphosphino)methane), reacts with thiols to give addition of RS–H across a phosphine-bridged Pd–Pd bond.