Hydrogen-bonding pincer complexes with two protic N-heterocyclic carbenes from direct metalation of a 1,8-bis(imidazol-1-yl)carbazole by platinum, palladium, and nickel.

Pincer protic N-heterocyclic carbene (PNHC) complexes were synthesized by direct metalation, the formation of a metal carbon bond from an unfunctionalized CH bond in a single synthetic step. Significantly, direct metalation succeeded even for a first-row metal, nickel. The chloride complexes were isolated and then converted to the acetate, triflate, or in the platinum case, a hydride analogue.