Sustainable synthesis of Pd(II) pincer complexes under conditions of liquid-assisted grinding

Different mechanochemical tools continue to encompass new fields of synthetic chemistry, often suggesting yield and rate enhancement along with the reduced waste production and simplified product isolation. In this communication, the cyclopalladation of a range of symmetrical and unsymmetrical pincer ligands is shown to readily proceed under conditions of liquid-assisted grinding upon interaction with a simple Pd(II) salt (PdCl2) used as a metalating agent in the presence of DMSO as a green liquid additive. The suggested approach represents a highly efficient and ecologically friendly alternative to the conventional methods for synthesis of Pd(II) pincer complexes in solution.