Methyl levamisolium triflate as a precursor to a chiral bifunctional N-heterocyclic carbene-thiolate ligand:: Palladium(II) complexes

Cationic palladium(H) complexes containing the chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand l-ethylenethiolate-3-methyl-4-(R)-phenylimidazoline-2-ylidene have been prepared in one-pot reactions that involve the oxidative addition of the C-S bond of methyl levamisolium to [Pd(dba)(2)] (dba = dibenzylidene acetone). These reactions represent an easy entry into complexes having chiral NHC ligands.