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metal-organic compounds
Treatment of trans-6,7-dihydrohimachalene [(1R,2R,7R)-2,6,6,9-tetramethylbicyclo[5.4.0]deca-8-ene] with palladium(II) chloride gives bis(chloro)-bridged cyclopalladated dimers [Pd2Cl2(C15H25)2] with high regio- and stereoselectivity. The molecule displays crystallographic twofold symmetry and adopts a butterfly shape (the Pd2Cl2 unit is the `body' and the organic ligands are the `wings'). The methyl group on the asymmetric C atom points to the side in which the Pd2Cl2 unit is placed.