Eight-membered-ring diaminocarbenes bearing naphthalene moiety in the backbone: DFT studies, synthesis of amidinium salts, generation of free carbene, metal complexes, and solvent-free copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction.

A new type of eight-membered ring N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) bearing a rigid naphthalene moiety in the backbone is reported for the first time. Stereoelectronic properties of 4,5-dihydro-1H-naphtho[1,8-ef][1,3]diazocin-3(2H)-ylidene (NaphtDHD) and smaller ring NHCs were theoretically studied at the DFT level. Amidinium salts were prepared from corresponding amidines and dibromides.

Expanded-ring N-heterocyclic carbenes efficiently stabilize gold(I) cations, leading to high activity in π-acid-catalyzed cyclizations.

A series of six- and seven-membered expanded-ring N-heterocyclic carbene (er-NHC) gold(I) complexes has been synthesized using different synthetic approaches. Complexes with weakly coordinating anions [(er-NHC)AuX] (X(-) = BF4(-), NTf2(-), OTf(-)) were generated in solution. According to their (13)C NMR spectra, the ionic character of the complexes increases in the order X(-) = Cl(-) < NTf2(-) < OTf(-) < BF4(-).

N-heterocyclic carbenes bearing two, one and no nitrogen atoms at the ylidene carbon: insight from theoretical calculations.

Electronic structure, thermodynamic stability and ligand properties in LRh(CO)2Cl complexes of a series of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) were studied at the DFT level. The systems under study are: imidazolin-2-ylidene (1), imidazolidin-2-ylidene (2), cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC, 3), pyrazolin-3-ylidene (4), pyridin-2-ylidene (5), and pyridin-4-ylidene (6). The main structural feature influencing the properties of these species is the number of nitrogen atoms at the ylidene carbon.