Synthesis and structure of formally hexavalent palladium complexes

Formally hexavalent palladium complexes have been isolated and structurally characterized for the first time. Thermal condensation reaction of three molecules of 1,2-C6H4(SiH2)(2)Pd-11(R2PCH2CH2PR2) (where R is defined as a methyl or ethyl) provided trinuclear palladium complexes. Single-crystal x-ray analysis revealed that each of the central palladium atoms of the complexes is ligated by six silicon atoms and is hexavalent, whereas the other palladium atoms are divalent.