Low-coordinate bis-phosphine and monophosphine Ni(0) complexes: synthesis and reactivity in C–S cross-coupling

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Ar')(DVDS)] (DVDS = divinyltetramethyldisiloxane). DFT calculations were used to account for the atypical bent structures displayed by the bis-phosphine Ni(0) complexes. Monophosphine-Ni(0) complexes display catalytic activity superior to bis-phosphine Ni(0) adducts, which suggests that the former facilitate the generation of highly reactive monoligated PNi(0) species. Furthermore, the reactivity of monophosphine-Ni(0) precatalysts outperform that observed with Ni(II) precatalysts with the same phosphine ligands, supporting a more facile activation step to the same catalytic species. This enhanced reactivity allows for the use of lower catalyst loadings (1-5 mol%) and for carrying out the challenging coupling between aryl chlorides and alkylthiols.