Organic reactions involving transition metals III. The palladium(II)-catalysed dimerization of olefinic compounds

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)90614-4

The palladium(II)-catalysed dimerization of olefins has been investigated. The olefinic compounds, ethylene, propene, n-butenes, methyl acrylat, and styrene, have been successfully dimerized, and the pairs of olefinic compounds, ethylene and propene, propene and 1-butene, ethylene and cyclopentene, ethylene and methyl acrylate, ethylene and styrene, and methyl acrylate and styrene successfully codimerized, using dichlorobis(benzonitrile)palladium or palladium dichloride as catalyst. In all cases, high proportions of straight-chain dimers are formed, and olefin-isomerization is a closely associated feature of the reaction. A mechanism involving a hydridopalladium(II) compound as the catalytically active species is suggested.