N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) promote the transfer hydrogenation of various activated C=C, C=N, and N=N bonds with water as the proton source. The NHCs act as reducing reagents to be converted into their oxides. A detailed reaction mechanism is proposed on the basis of deuterium-labeling experiments.

The interaction of N,N0-bismesitylimidazolin-2-yl (IMes) with alcohols is discussed. NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography were used to examine the influence of solvent and alcohol on this interaction. The stabilizing effect of these interactions may be used for the storage of nitrogen–heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) since removal of the volatiles liberates the NHC. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rig...

Carbene catalysed redox activation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes is applied for generation of α,β-unsaturated acyl azoliums which undergo cyclopropanation upon reaction with a sulfur ylide and an alcohol to give the corresponding cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters. With chiral carbenes good to excellent diastereo and enantioselectivities are obtained.

Alkoxide-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) stabilise the potassium-imidazole-2-ylidene fragment against 1,2 alkyl rearrangement reactions; this allows the first structural characterisation of a potassium NHC complex, which reveals distorted and unusual bonding interactions between the imidazole ring and the potassium cation.

The synthesis and X-ray crystal structure of a potassium adduct of a monoanionic CNC-pincer ligand featuring two mesoionic carbenes is reported. Owing to the peculiar electronic and steric properties of this ligand, the first neutral stable Ni(II)-hydride, and an unusual Cu(II) complex displaying a seesaw geometry, have been isolated.

The preparation of rhenium based octahedral clusters containing N-heterocyclic carbenes is described. These represent the first examples of [M6(μ3-Q)8](n+) or [M6(μ3-X)8](n+) clusters to contain a carbene ligand of any type (NHC, Fischer or Schrock). Surprisingly, the NHC ligands attenuate their luminescent properties.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were generated in-situ from imidazolium and imidazolinium salts by deprotonation of C-2 hydrogen and were used as ligands in the copper-catalyzed addition of diethylzinc to N-sulfonylimines. The copper-NHC complexes were shown to possess an efficient ligand acceleration effect (LAE).

A method for the application of carbenes as reactive intermediates for surface modification of polymeric substrates has been developed; the efficacy of the process has been demonstrated by irreversible dyeing of polystyrene, polythene, nylon, silica, and controlled pore glass, and to a limited extent, polytetrafluoroethylene.

The syntheses of unsymmetrical N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) that contain a single N-bound icosahedral carborane anion substituent are reported. Both anionic C-2 and doubly deprotonated dianionic C-2/C-5 NHC lithium complexes are isolated. The latter species is formed selectively, which reveals a surprising directing effect conveyed by icosahedral carborane anion substituents.