The chemistry of heterocyclic carbenes has experienced a rapid development over the last years. In addition to the imidazolin-2-ylidenes, a large number of cyclic diaminocarbenes with different ring sizes have been described. Aside from diaminocarbenes, P-heterocyclic carbenes, and derivatives with only one, or even no heteroatom within the carbene ring are known. New methods for the synthesis of complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands such as the oxidative addition or the metal atom template controlled cyclization of β-functionalized isocyanides have been developed recently. This review summarizes the new developments regarding the synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbenes and their metal complexes.

Heterocyclic Carbenes: Synthesis and Coordination Chemistry

Carbenes : Synthesis, properties, and organometallic chemistry

ion of the chloride ligands, compound 2 was further reacted with MeMgCl, yielding the bimetallic compound 3 in which the biscarbene ligand is bridging two Cr(II) atoms, also bridged by two methyl ligands. Recent studies by Arnold and co-workers showed that the incorporation of an anionic functional group (alkoxide, amido, or amino) in an NHC unit allows the preparation of tridentate ligands capable of coordinating to d0 early transition metals such as yttrium, titanium, and zirconium.87 The lithium aminodicarbene chloride complex 5 reacts with Y[N(SiMe3)2]3 affording the yttrium(III) complex 6 (Scheme 10). Hexacoordinated titanium (7) and zirconium (8) complexes were synthesized by reaction of 4 with M(NEt2)4 (M ) Ti, Zr) (Scheme 10). Complexes 7 and 8 constituted the first examples of group 3 and 4 metal complexes with monoanionic biscarbene ligands. Another interesting example of early transition metal NHC-based complexes was described by Smith and coworkers.88 By the reaction shown in Scheme 11, the tris(NHC)borate 989,90 afforded a tricarbonyl complex of Mn(I) with a tripodal tris-NHC ligand, 10. The analysis of the ν(CO) bands on the IR spectrum of this complex showed that 9 is the most electron-donating tripodal ligand compared with all others that have been bound to the same Mntricarbonyl fragment. Compound 10 is air-sensitive and is easily oxidized to a homoleptic Mn(IV) complex (11, Scheme 11), which is the first example of a Mn(IV)-NHC complex reported to-date. 4.2. Catalytic Applications Although many catalytic applications of late transition metal complexes bearing poly-NHC ligands have been described, those of early transition metals are restricted to a few examples. In 2003, Gibson and co-workers reported Cr(III)-based ethylene oligomerization precatalysts that incorporate a CNC-pincer carbene ligand.91,92 More recently, McGuinness shed some light on the mechanism of the reaction with the mentioned pincer complexes in combination with MAO.93 The Cr(II) and Cr(III) complexes described by Theopold were tested for polymerization of ethylene with a MAO cocatalyst, showing low activities and a broad weight distribution of the polymers.85 In particular, Cr(II) compounds such as 2 (Scheme 9) were unreactive to ethylene when exposed to MAO, showing that the more Lewis acidic Cr(III) performs better in this reaction. The authors pointed out the ease with which the Cr(III) complexes are reduced to Cr(II), arguing that very strong σ-donating but soft NHC ligands may have a stronger affinity for the softer Cr(II) rather than the harder Cr(III). Thus, they concluded that this ligand system may be better suited for lower oxidation state chromium chemistry and that, due to the inactivity of the Cr(II) compounds tested, it would not lead to successful results in ethylene polymerization. 5. Poly-NHC Ligands in Complexes of Group 8 Metals

Complexes with poly(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligands: structural features and catalytic applications.

Heterocyclische Carbene – Synthese und Koordinationschemie

More than a quarter of a century after the first metal template synthesis of a [2]catenane in Strasbourg, there now exists a plethora of strategies available for the construction of mechanically bonded and entwined molecular level structures. Catenanes, rotaxanes, knots and Borromean rings have all been successfully accessed by methods in which metal ions play a pivotal role. Originally metal ions were used solely for their coordination chemistry; acting either to gather and position the building blocks such that subsequent reactions generated the interlocked products or by being an integral part of the rings or "stoppers" of the interlocked assembly. Recently the role of the metal has evolved to encompass catalysis: the metal ions not only organize the building blocks in an entwined or threaded arrangement but also actively promote the reaction that covalently captures the interlocked structure. This Review outlines the diverse strategies that currently exist for forming mechanically bonded molecular structures with metal ions and details the tactics that the chemist can utilize for creating cross-over points, maximizing the yield of interlocked over non-interlocked products, and the reactions-of-choice for the covalent capture of threaded and entwined intermediates.

Strategies and tactics for the metal-directed synthesis of rotaxanes, knots, catenanes, and higher order links.

Template Synthesis of a Coordinated Tetracarbene Ligand with Crown Ether Topology

The reaction of 2-azidophenyl isocyanide (7) with [M(CO)(5)(thf)] (M=Cr, W) yields the isocyanide complexes [M(CO)(5)(7)] (M=Cr 8, M=W 9). Complexes 8 and 9 react with tertiary phosphines such as triphenylphosphane at the azido function of the isocyanide ligand to give the 2-triphenylphosphiniminophenyl isocyanide complexes 10 (M=Cr) and 11 (M=W). The polar triphenylphosphiniminophenyl function in complexes 10 and 11 can be hydrolyzed with H(2)O/HBr to afford triphenylphosphane oxide and the complexes containing the unstable 2-aminophenyl isocyanide ligand. This ligand spontaneously cyclizes by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the primary amine at the isocyanide carbon atom to yield the 2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylidene complexes 12 (M=Cr) and 13 (M=W). Double deprotonation of the cyclic NH,NH-carbene ligands in 12 and 13 with KOtBu and reaction with two equivalents of allyl bromide yields the N,N'-dialkylated benzannulated N-heterocyclic carbene complexes 14 (M=Cr) and 15 (M=W). The molecular structures of complexes 9 and 11-15 were confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies.

Template Synthesis of Benzannulated N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

https://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b5/b510996e/b510996e.pdf

Template synthesis of tungsten complexes with saturated N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

Templatsynthese eines koordinierten Tetracarben‐Liganden mit Kronenether‐Topologie

The cyclization reaction of coordinated β-functional phenyl isocyanides was used to generate coordinated anellated N-heterocyclic carbenes. Coordinated 2-trimethylsiloxyphenyl isocyanide reacts, after SiO bond cleavage, to yield a complex with a coordinated benzoxazol-2-ylidene ligand. The cyclization reaction of coordinated 2-aminophenyl isocyanide, obtained in situ from 2-azidophenyl isocyanide, yields the coordinated benzimidazol-2-ylidene. Both ylidenes can be alkylated at the nitrogen atoms. Attempts to generate four benzimidazol-2-ylidenes at PtII and to bridge them by N-alkylation leading to a crown ether-like ligand with carbene donors are presented here. Free N-heterocyclic carbenes derived from benzimidazole with large N-substituents exist as monomers while they dimerize to dibenzotetraazafulvalenes when substituted with sterically less-demanding substituents at the ring nitrogen atoms. A chemical equilibrium between the monomeric carbene and its dimerized enetetraamine exists for the N,N′-isopropyl substituted derivative. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 13:540–549, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/hc.10099

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/hc.10099

Volker Langenhahn

Papers

Template Synthesis of a Coordinated Tetracarbene Ligand with Crown Ether Topology

Template Synthesis of Benzannulated N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

Template synthesis of tungsten complexes with saturated N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

Templatsynthese eines koordinierten Tetracarben‐Liganden mit Kronenether‐Topologie

Cyclic polycarbene ligands with crown ether structure