Novel heteroleptic cis-(C⁁N)2Pd(ii) chelates for the preparation of enantiopure planar chiral cyclopalladated 2-[tricarbonyl(η6-phenyl)chromium]pyridineElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: preparation procedures, spectroscopic data for 5a–c, NMR and CD spectra for (pR)-3 and (pS)-3, crystal data for 5b, 5c, (pR)-3 and (pS)-3.

In the presence of large amounts of [Me4N]Cl, the reaction of ortho-chloromercurated 2-[(eta6-phenyl)tricarbonylchromium]pyridine with mu-chloro cyclopalladated aromatic compounds yields a series of new heteroleptic heterodinuclear cis-(C--N)2Pd(II) complexes, which are valuable precursors of planar chiral cyclopalladated (eta6-arene)Cr(CO)3 complexes.