Photoaccelerated energy transfer catalysis of the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling through ligand regulation on Ir(iii)–Pd(ii) bimetallic complexes

Three bimetallic Ir(iii)–Pd(ii) complexes [Ir(ppy)(2)(bpm)PdCl(2)](PF(6)) (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, 1), [Ir(dfppy)(2)(bpm)PdCl(2)](PF(6)) (dfppy = (4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridine, 2), and [Ir(pq)(2)(bpm)PdCl(2)](PF(6)) (pq = 2-phenylquinoline, 3) were synthesized by using 2,2′-bipyrimidine (bpm) as a bridging ligand. The influences of the cyclometalated ligand at the Ir(iii) center on the photophysical and electrochemical properties as well as photocatalytic activity for the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction under mild conditions were evaluated. The results revealed that complex 3 enables dramatically accelerating the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction under visible light irradiation at room temperature, due to the effective absorption of visible light and appropriate locus of the excited chromophore. Mechanism studies showed that the chromophore [Ir(pq)(2)(bpm)] fragment absorbs visible light to produce the triplet excited state centering on the bridging ligand which boosts the formation of electron rich Pd(ii) units and facilitates the oxidative addition step of the catalytic cycle. Simultaneously, the excited chromophore undergoes energy transfer efficiently to the Pd(ii) reaction site to form the excited Pd(ii) species, resulting in enhancement of Pd(ii) reduction steps of the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction and increasing the reactivity of the catalyst. This provides a new strategy for designing photocatalysts for coupling reaction through altering the cyclometalated ligand to modulate the photophysical properties and the cooperation between two metal units.