Phosphido Pincer Complexes of Palladium as New Efficient Catalysts for Allylation of Aldehydes

Palladium complexes supported by tridentate phosphido diphosphine ligands (P(o-C6H4PR2)2: 1, R = iPr; 2, R = Ph) have been synthesized, characterized, and tested as catalysts for the electrophilic allylation of aldehydes. The palladium complex 2 resulted in an interesting catalyst for electrophilic allylation in the presence of allyltributyltin, giving good yields under very mild reaction conditions and even in the absence of the solvent.