Synthesis and crystal structure of trans-di­chlorido[3-methyl-1-(4-vinyl­benz­yl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium-2-yl-κC (2)](4-phenyl­pyridine-κN)palladium(II)

The title compound, [PdCl(2)(C(11)H(9)N)(C(13)H(14)N(2))], represents a new class of palladium-based polymerizable monomer which could give a potentially catalytically active polymer. It was synthesized via transmetallation from the corresponding silver complex. The Pd(II) ion coordinates two Cl anions, one C atom from the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand and one N atom from the 4-phenyl­pyridine ligand, displaying a slightly distorted square-planar geometry. The dihedral angle between the imidazole ring and the pyridine ring is 34.53 (8)°. The Pd—C bond length between the NHC ligand and the Pd(II) ion is 1.9532 (16) Å. In the crystal, weak non-classical C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into a tape structure along [101]. A weak π–π inter­action is also observed [centroid–centroid distance = 3.9117 (11) Å].