2-ETA-3-ALLYL-1,1,1-TRICARBONYL-MU-(ETA-1-ETA-6-DIPHENYLMETHYL)CHROMIUMPALLADIUM(PD-CR) AT 130-K

The introduction of the phenyl substituent at the benzyl C atom of the arene, pi-coordinated by the Cr atom, does not cause any significant changes in the geometry of the binuclear complex which contains a direct Pd-Cr bond [average length 2.768(1) angstrom for the two independent molecules]. The Pd-C(benzyl), Pd-C(ipso) and C(benzyl)-C(ipso) bond lengths [averages 2.138(3), 2.547(2) and 1.452(3) angstrom, respectively] and other geometric features indicate that the title compound may be treated as a super-position of two canonical structures, one of which implies pi coordination of the Pd atom by the exocylic C(benzyl)-C(ipso) bond whereas the second involves only Pd-C(benzyl) sigma bonding.