TRANS-4,5-BIS(2-PYRIDYL)NORBORNANE - A BIDENTATE NITROGEN LIGAND WITHA POTENTIALLY LARGE BITE ANGLE

The coordination chemistry of the new chiral bidentate nitrogen ligand trans-4,5-bis(2-pyridyl)norbornane (Renorpy) towards palladium has be en studied. The novel complexes (Renorpy)Pd(eta(2)-alkene) (eta(2)-alk ene = maleic anhydride, tetracyanoethylene), (Renorpy)Pd(Me)CI and (Re norpy)Pd(C(O)Me)Cl have been synthesized. Molecular modeling calculati ons gave a 'natural' bite angle for the Renorpy ligand of 115.5 degree s. Single crystal X-ray analyses of the complex (Renorpy)Pd(Me)Cl show ed that the bite angle of the ligand in this complex is significantly smaller (93.7(2)degrees) than the 'natural' one, which is caused by th e electronic preference of palladium. To accommodate this smaller bite angle the palladium atom moves out of the pyridyl planes. (C) 1998 El sevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.