The formation of cationic palladium(II)complexes [TrpyPd(II)]X-+(-) by salt metathesis of the respective trifluoroacetates with different salts of weakly coordinating anions X- was investigated. With non-hydrolizable counterions, cationic mono- and dinuclear complexes are observed depending on the nature of the anion X- and the solvent. The mononuclear cations, which are only formed with X = BArF, most probably carry a weakly bound molecule of dichloromethane at the fourth coordination site of Pd-II. When treated with diazoalkanes, only these are sufficiently reactive to form carbene complexes. Four- and five coordinate Lewis base adducts [TrpyPd(II)L](+) with L = CH3NC, tBuNH(2), PMe3, PEt3 and PiPr(3) and [TrpyPd(II)L(2)](+) with L = PMe3 were prepared from the mononuclear cations [TrpyPd(II)]+BArF-. From structural studies it becomes apparent, that the formation of stable five coordinate Pd-II species is restricted to medium size ligands and depends on the delicate balance between the steric influence of L and the strain, which is induced on the TrpyPd(II) unit. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.