The free-energy barrier to hydride transfer across a dipalladium complex

Abstract

We use density-functional theory molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) simulations to determine the hydride transfer coordinate between palladium centres of the crystallographically observed terminal hydride locations, Pd–Pd–H, originally postulated for the solution dynamics of the complex bis-NHC dipalladium hydride [{(MesIm)₂CH₂}₂Pd₂H][PF₆], and then calculate the free-energy along this coordinate. We estimate the transfer barrier-height to be about 20 kcal mol⁻¹ with a hydride transfer rate in the order of seconds at room temperature. We validate our DFT-MD modelling using inelastic neutron scattering which reveals anharmonicity of the hydride environment that is so pronounced that there is complete failure of the harmonic model for the hydride ligand. The simulations are extended to high temperature to bring the H-transfer to a rate that is accessible to the simulation technique.