Dial-a-base mechanochemical synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene copper complexes.

Liquid assisted ball milling of [NHC]HBr (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) salts with copper(I) chloride, and a range of alkali metal complexes was shown to efficiently produce (NHC)CuX (NHC = normal or RE-NHC, X = halide, alkoxide, amide, alkyl, aryl; RE-NHC = ring-expanded NHC).

Acyclic Boryl Complexes of Copper(I).

Reaction of (6-Dipp)CuOtBu (6-Dipp=C{NDippCH } CH , Dipp=2,6-iPr C H ) with B (OMe) provided access to (6-Dipp)CuB(OMe) via σ-bond metathesis. (6-Dipp)CuB(OMe) was characterised by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography and shown to be a monomeric acyclic boryl of copper. (6-Dipp)CuB(OMe) reacted with ethylene and diphenylacetylene to provide insertion compounds into the Cu-B bond which were characterised by NMR spectroscopy in both cases and X-ray crystallography in the latter.