Cu(0), O2 and mechanical forces: a saving combination for efficient production of Cu–NHC complexes† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Operating procedures and characterization data. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc03182j Click here for additional data file.

A general synthetic route to [Cu(X)(NHC)] (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene, X = Cl, Br, I) complexes† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Optimisation details and full characterisation data. CCDC 940850–940853. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c3cc45488f Click here for additional data file.

A one-pot procedure for the synthesis of [Cu(X)(NHC)] (X = Cl, Br, I) is reported. The reaction is applicable to a wide range of saturated and unsaturated NHC ligands, is scalable and proceeds under mild conditions using technical grade solvents in air.

Re-evaluating the Cu K pre-edge XAS transition in complexes with covalent metal–ligand interactions† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental methods; UV-vis absorption spectrum and crystallographic data for 3; fits to Cu K pre-edge XANES spectra; details of DFT, CASSCF, and MR-DDCI3 computational experiments; optimized atomic coordinates for all complexes. CCDC 1031118 and 1031119. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c4sc03294b Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

Asymmetric synthesis of cyclopentanes bearing four contiguous stereocenters via an NHC-catalyzed Michael/Michael/esterification domino reaction† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental procedures and characterization date (NMR, IR, MS, HPLC). CCDC 1437686. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c5cc09581f Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

An NHC-catalyzed Michael/Michael/esterification domino reaction via homoenolate/enolate intermediates for the asymmetric synthesis of tetrasubstituted cyclopentanes bearing four contiguous stereocenters is described. A variety of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes and 2-nitroallylic acetates react well with good domino yields and high stereoselectivities.

All-metal aromatic cationic palladium triangles can mimic aromatic donor ligands with Lewis acidic cations† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Reaction procedures, characterization of complexes, copies of all spectra and cif files, modelling details and XYZ coordinates. CCDC 1410440–1410442. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c7sc03475j Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

Rapid access to substituted 2-naphthyne intermediates via the benzannulation of halogenated silylalkynes† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthetic procedures, characterization data, and DFT calculations. CCDC 1539450 and 1539451. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c7sc01625e Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.