Alkylidene transfer palladium complexes

Probably the first isolated tungsten alkylidene complex active in metathesis and completely characterised is the one shown in Figure 16.10 reported by Wengrovius and Schrock the analysis included an X-ray structure determination by Churchill and co-workers [18], The alkylidene was transferred from a tantalum complex to yield the hexacoordinate tungsten complex containing two PEt3 ligands. One of these can be removed by the addition of half an equivalent of palladium chloride. The total turnover number of these catalysts with Lewis acids added was 50 in 24 hours. 

---