The 1,1-reductive elimination of ethane from three cis-bis(phosphine)-dimethylpalladium complexes, L/sub 2/Pd(CH/sub 3/)/sub 2/ (L = PPh/sub 3/, PPh/sub 2/,CH/sub 3/ and L/sub 2/ = Ph/sub 2/PCH/sub 2/CH/sub 2/PPh/sub 2/), and three trans analogs (L = PPh/sub 3/, PPh/sub 2/CH/sub 3/ and L/sub 2/ = 2,11-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)benzo(c)phenanthrene (TRANSPHOS)) was carried out. The three cis complexes underwent reductive elimination in the presence of coordinating solvents (DMSO, DMF, and THF). The trans complexes which could isomerize to cis (L = PPh/sub 3/, PPh/sub 2/CH/sub 3/) did so in polar solvents and then underwent reductive elimination. TRANSPHOS dimethylpalladium would not undergo reductive elimination of ethane. The eliminations from the cis isomers were intramolecular and displayed first order kinetics. Although TRANSPHOS dimethylpalladium(II) would not undergo a 1,1-reductive elimination of ethane, the addition of CD/sub 3/I to a DMSO solution of this complex at 25/sup 0/C rapidly produced CD/sub 3/-CH/sub 3/, implicating a transient palladium(IV) intermediate. E- and Z-bromostyrylbis(diphenylmethylphosphine)palladium(0) react with methyl lithium in THF at ambient temperature to give the E- and Z- propenylbenzenes, respectively. At -78/sup 0/C, the intermediate E- and Z-styrylmethylbis(diphenylmethylphosphine)palladium(II) complexes (9a,b) can be isolated. On raising the temperature of solutions of 9a,b in THF, E- and Z-propenylbenzenes are produced. The reductive elimination …