The chemical and electrochemical one-electron oxidation of [Pd(IPr) 2] ( 1) leads to the formation of mononuclear palladium(I) complex [Pd(IPr) 2][PF 6] ( 2). This bench-stable metalloradical has been fully characterized and its structure confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. EPR and DFT studies confirm the localization of the unpaired electron onto the metal center. Low temperature NMR and EPR measurements reveal the ability of complex 2 to reversibly coordinate and reduce the dioxygen molecule, leading to the formation of a three-coordinate complex, [Pd II(IPr) 2(η 1-O 2)] + ( 4), in which the unpaired electron has been transferred to the superoxido ligand.
The synthesis and full characterization of the stable palladium(I) metalloradical [Pd(IPr) 2][PF 6] ( 2) is reported. The unpaired electron is located at the metal center according to the experimental (EPR) and theoretical (DFT) evidence. Complex 2 can reversibly bind and transfer an electron to a dioxygen molecule at a low temperature to form the tricoordinate palladium(II) superoxido complex [Pd(IPr) 2(η 1-O 2)] +.