Substituted pyridine coordinated N,N-trans and N,N-cis cyclopalladated complexes of (S)-4-tert-butyl-2-phenyl-2-oxazoline: Crystal structures, spectral study and catalysis of the decomposition of P{double bond, long}S pesticides

Three pyridine coordinated cyclopalladated complexes: (S)-chloro{2-[2-(4-tert-butyl)oxazolinyl]phenyl-C,N}(4-R-pyridine)palladium(II) (R = H, 2; R = CF₃, 3; R = NMe₂, 4), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. While the crystal structure shows that 2 has a normal N,N-trans-conformation in the coordination sphere of palladium(II), 3 and 4 exhibit uncommon N,N-cis-conformations. From ¹H NMR measurements, the major coordination isomer in deuterated chloroform solution is N,N-trans configuration for three palladacycles. It was found that the three complexes catalyze effectively the methanolysis of the P{double bond, long}S pesticides including chiral thiophosphates but show different activity depending on the substituents of co-coordinated pyridine ring in 2-4.