Problems and exercisesThe catalytic cycle: oxidative addition, transmetalation and reductive elimination
Exercise 1
Give the oxidation state of palladium and the number of valence electrons in: (a) Pd(PPh3)4; (b) Pd(PPh3)2; (c) trans-PhPdBr(PPh3)2. Which of them is the species that carries out oxidative addition?
Exercise 2
Why does reductive elimination require the two groups to be cis? Why are alkylpalladium species with hydrogens on the β carbon often a problem in couplings with alkyl groups?