Tripalladium(0) sandwich complexes with nitrogen based ligands

The synthesis and characterization of a series of complexes based upon a central tripalladium ditropylium (Tr) unit [Pd₃Tr₂]²⁺ containing different nitrogen-based ligands is reported. The complexes were synthesized in good yield and characterized by multi-nuclei NMR spectroscopy, elemental microanalysis and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Variation in the equatorial ligand strongly influences Pd-N bond distances, but has only a minor effect on Pd-Pd distances. These complexes provide insight into the synthesis of materials of higher dimensionality.