Tridentate NNN Ligand Associating Amidoquinoline and Iminophosphorane: Synthesis and Coordination to Pd and Ni Centers

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The synthesis of a tridentate NNN ligand incorporating an amidoquinoline and an iminophosphorane ( L R H; R = Ph, Cy) was carried out. Coordination to Pd II and Ni II precursors gave, as expected, square-planar complexes of the general formula [ L R MCl]. The most surprising result came from the reaction of L Ph H with [Ni(COD) 2 ], which gave a Ni II phenyl complex bearing a tridentate amidoquinoline-aminophosphine ligand. This rearrangement would result from a proton transfer assisted by the Ni 0 on stabilization by a phenyl substituent at the phosphorus, as suggested by DFT calculations and complementary experiments. This nickel phenyl complex formed the corresponding benzoyl complex under a CO atmosphere.