Some oxidative addition reactions with a diphosphadibora[1.1.0]bicyclobutane: formation of cage compounds and of an unusual trinuclear coordination compound of palladium

Diphosphadibora-bicyclo[1.1.0]butane (3) oxidatively adds the stannylene [(Me3Si)(2)CH](2)Sn providing the cage compound 4 having a trigonal bipyramidally shaped P2B2Sn skeleton. Other low valent main group IV species such as GeCl2 . dioxane, Sn(NMe2)(2), p-chlorophenylcarbene and even Cp2Zr did not react. However, (Ph3P)(2)PtC2H4 adds 3 to its (Ph3P)(2)Pt fragment, and this leads to the cage compound 5 having a B2P2Pt skeleton. In contrast, the interaction between 3 and Pd(PPh3)(4) yields two compounds: (Ph3P)(2)Pd(3)(2) (6) is the first addition product while the second compound, (Ph3P)(2)Pd-3(3)(2) (7) results in a slow reaction from 6 and Pd(PPh3)(4). The structure of compound 7 shows a linear array of three Pd atoms which are bridged by four P atoms of the oxidatively added 3. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.