Metal-diazo radicals of α-carbonyl diazomethanes are new members of the radical family and are precursors to metal-carbene radicals. Herein, using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy with spin-trapping, we detect diazo radicals of α-carbonyl diazomethanes, induced by [Rh(I)Cl(cod)]2, [Co(II)(por)] and PdCl2, at room temperature. The unique quintet signal of the Rh-diazo radical was obs...

Catalytic carbene transfer to olefins is a useful approach to synthesize cyclopropanes, which are key structural motifs in many drugs and biologically active natural products. While catalytic methods for olefin cyclopropanation have largely relied on rare transition-metal-based catalysts, recent studies have demonstrated the promise and synthetic value of iron-based heme-containing proteins for...

Developing N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) chemistry of simple organomagnesium compounds, this study reports the synthesis, X-ray crystallographic, and NMR spectroscopic characterization of three such new carbene complexes. The 1 : 1 alkyl magnesium amide : carbene complexes nBuMg(TMP)·IPr 1 and nBuMg(HMDS)·IPr 2 both exist as mononuclear complexes in the crystal but differ in solution as 2 remain...

The coordination geometry about the Pd centre in the title compound, [Pd(C(40)H(42)N(5))Cl], is approximately square-planar. The CNC pincer-type N-heterocyclic carbene ligand binds to the Pd atom in a tridentate fashion by the amido N atom and the two carbene atoms and generates two six-membered chelate rings, completing the coordination.

Regioselective ring expansion of alkynyl cyclopropanes to highly substituted cyclobutenes was developed. The reaction involves a copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of an alkyne with an arylsulfonyl azide and a silver-catalyzed carbene formation followed by ring expansion of a cyclopropyl carbene intermediate.

The chiral N-heterocyclic carbene/Lewis acid co-catalyzed reaction of 2-aroylvinylcinnamaldehydes produced good yields of indeno[1,2-c]furan-1-one derivatives with excellent enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. A switch of intramolecular cyclization to intermolecular dimerization was achieved by the cooperative catalysis of chiral triazole carbene and Ti(OPr-i)4 catalysts.

Five iridium(III) complexes with two N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands and an ancillary ligand have been designed and successfully synthesized. With multicolor photoluminescence and low toxicity, these carbene complexes were tested, for the first time, as living cell imaging reagents and showed promise for application beyond the OLED (organic light emitting diode) area.

Mono- and binuclear Fischer carbene complexes, [M(CO)5{C(OR)Ar-ArX}], X = H, {C(OR)M'(CO)5}; M, M' = W or Cr; R = Me, Et or (CH2)4OMe; Ar = thiophene, N-methylpyrrole or furan units 1-20, were synthesized. For this purpose, mono-, bi- or stepwise lithiated bithiophene, N,N'-dimethylbipyrrole, thienylfuran and N-methyl(thienyl)pyrrole were reacted with chromium and tungsten hexacarbonyl precurso...

The transformation of an amidinate germylene, equipped with just one accessible lone pair of electrons on the Ge atom, into a bidentate 4-electron donor κ(2)Ge,N-ligand, has been achieved for the first time, opening new doors to the non-carbene-like coordination chemistry of heavier carbene analogues.

A novel strategy for alkyne-alkyne cross-coupling has been developed under the palladium catalysis. In this reaction, ene-yne-ketones are employed as carbene precursors, which couple with terminal alkynes through the metal carbene migratory insertion process. Furan-substituted enynes are obtained in good yields and in a stereoselective manner.