N−H Cleavage as a Route to Palladium Complexes of a New PNP Pincer Ligand

Pd halide and hydride complexes of a new PNP pincer ligand with a central diarylamido moiety can be prepared via N−H cleavage in a neutral amine/diphosphine PNP ligand. The solid-state structure of (PNP)PdCl shows a meridional PNP ligand about an approximately square-planar Pd center. (PNP)PdH hydrodehalogenates alkyl and certain aryl halides, while (PNP)PdX (X = Cl, I, H, OAc) complexes catalyze Heck coupling of ethyl acrylate with aryl halides.