Synthesis, structural, and electron topographical analyses of a dialkylbiaryl phosphine/arene-ligated palladium(I) dimer: Enhanced reactivity in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions

The treatment of bis(2-(dicyclohexylphosphino)-2',6'-dimethoxybiphenyl)PdCl2 with AgBF4 produces an air-stable phosphine/arene-ligated Pd(I) dimer with two seemingly identical Pd-arene interactions by X-ray crystallography. However, NMR and theoretical electron topographical analyses of this complex distinguish between these two interactions. One interaction is classified as an arenium-like complex, while the other is classified as a,pi-interaction. Additionally, this complex is a suitable precatalyst for high yielding Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions in short reaction times.