Structure and catalytic activity of organopalladium(II) complexes based on 4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-5-one derivatives

The paper describes preparation of a chiral bidentate ligand 2-(2-bromophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-5-one, and a tridentate ligand 2-bromo-1,3-bis(4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-5-on-2-yl)benzene, whose oxidative addition reaction with Pd(0) giving neutral organopalladium(II) complexes has been studied. The structure of these complexes was studied by means of NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. After transformation of the neutral organopalladium(II) complexes into the corresponding ionic species the latter were studied as enantioselctive catalysts for asymmetric Friedel-Crafts alkylation and Michael addition. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.