Isomer Distribution and Interconversion in Cationic Allylpalladium(II) Complexes with 2-(Iminomethyl)pyridine Ligands

The complexes [Pd(η3-allyl)(N-N‘)]ClO4 [allyl = 2-butenyl or 3-methyl-2-butenyl, N-N‘ = C5H3(6-R)N-2-CHNR‘ (R = H, R‘ = Me, CMe3, C6H4OMe-4; R = Me, R‘ = C6H4OMe-4) and C5H4N-2-CH2NMe2] are present in solution with different isomers, the structures of which may be assigned by an 1H NMR criterion based on chemical shift changes of the pyridine H(6) and/or of the allylic methyl protons, as confirmed also by 2D 1H NMR spectra. The isomer distribution depends mainly on the steric requirements of both the allyl and N-N‘ ligands:  for [Pd(η3-3-methyl-2-butenyl)(N-N‘)]ClO4 the predominant isomer (ca. 100%) has a structure with the allylic methyl groups cis to the coordinated pyridine nitrogen when…