ortho-Palladation of a sterically crowded primary benzylamine, alpha-phenyl
neopentylamine, was accomplished in a moderate yield of 50% in the reaction
with the weakest of palladation agents (Li2PdCl4) under very mild conditio
ns, due to a steric promotion of an aromatic C-H bond activation. The struc
ture of dimer 1a thus formed and the palladacycle conformation were establi
shed on the basis of H-1-NMR spectroscopy of its mononuclear derivatives wi
th [D-5]pyridine (3a) and triphenylphosphane (4a), and an X-ray investigati
on of the latter.