Reactivity of [Ru4(μ-H)4(CO)12] with bidentate ligands containing at least one N-heterocyclic carbene moiety

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Materials Chemistry

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have become one of the most widely studied class of ligands in molecular chemistry and have found applications in fields as varied as catalysis, the stabilization of reactive molecular fragments, and biochemistry. More recently, NHCs have found applications in materials chemistry and have allowed for the functionalization of surfaces, polymers, nanoparticles, and discrete, well-defined clusters. In this review, we provide an in-depth look at recent advances in the use of NHCs for the development of functional materials.

Reactions of Platinum Carbonyl Chini Clusters with Ag(NHC)Cl Complexes: Formation of Acid-Base Lewis Adducts and Heteroleptic Clusters

The reactions of anionic platinum carbonyl Chini clusters [Pt_3n(CO)_6n]^2- [n = 2 (1), 3 (2), 4 (3)] with Ag(IPr)Cl [IPr = C₃N₂H₂(C₆H₃ⁱPr₂)₂] afford the neutral acid-base Lewis adducts [Pt₉(CO)₁₈(AgIPr)₂] (4) and [Pt₆(CO)₁₂(AgIPr)₂] (5). These are thermally transformed into the homometallic heteroleptic neutral cluster [Pt₃(CO)₄(IPr)₂] (6). Alternatively, 6 can be obtained from the reactions of 1-3 with an excess of the free IPr carbene ligand. The formation of 6 is sometimes accompanied by trace amounts of [Pt₄(CO)₄(IPr)₃] (7). The reaction of 6 with free IPr affords the closely related [Pt₃(CO)₃(IPr)₃] (8) heteroleptic cluster by substitution of the unique terminal CO ligand with a third IPr ligand. The reactions of 1-3 with Ag(IMes)Cl [IMes = C₃N₂H₂(C₆H₂Me₃)₂] proceed differently from those involving Ag(IPr)Cl. Indeed, the only product isolated after workup is the bimetallic tetranuclear cluster [Pt₃(CO)₃(IMes)₃(AgCl)] (9). 9 slowly reacts under a CO atmosphere, resulting in the pentanuclear [Pt₅(CO)₇(IMes)₃] (10) complex. All of the new clusters 4-10 have been spectroscopically characterized and their molecular structures determined by X-ray crystallography. 4 and 5 retain the original trigonal-prismatic structures of the parent anionic Chini clusters, which are capped by two [Ag(IPr)]⁺ moieties. Conversely, 6-9 are based on a Pt₃ triangular core decorated by CO and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands as well as Pt(CO) (in the case of 7) and AgCl (9) moieties. 10 displays an edge-bridged tetrahedral geometry.