A kinetic study of HgII and CdII catalyzed solvolysis of complexes of the type [Pd(AAA)X]+ (AAA = 1,1,7,7-tetraethyldiethylenetriamine (Et4dien) and 4-methyl-1, 1,7,7-tetraethyldiethylenetriamine (MeEt4 dien); X = Cl, Br, I) has been carried out in methanol at 25° C. The first-order dependence of the reaction rate on [M++] is explained in terms of a solvent attack on a labile binuclear adduct of the