Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands Research Articles

Pyridine functionalized nickel(II) N–heterocyclic carbene complexes as highly sensitive molecular sensors for the electrochemical sensing of date rape drugs

Molecular electrocatalysts featuring a nickel atom within a tailored N–heterocyclic carbene ligand environment are valuable for various electrocatalytic applications. This study presents the synthesis and characterisation of nickel organometallic electrocatalysts based on 1,2,4–triazol–5–ylidene with different steric profiles for the sensitive detection of date rape drugs (DRDs). Bis– N–heterocyclic carbene coordinated nickel(II) complexes were compared, and square wave voltammetry (SWV) showed that these catalysts detected xylazine in the concentration range of 1–100 µM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.621 nM. The developed electrocatalyst was also utilized for detecting scopolamine over a concentration range of 1–150 µM, with a LOD of 1.40 nM, as well as γ–butyrolactone in the range of 1–100 µM, with a LOD of 0.638 nM. The selectivity for these DRDs was analysed in the presence of other blood and urine components. The electrodes remained stable over 30 days with minimal performance variation, demonstrating the potential of these electrocatalysts for developing reliable on–site molecular sensors for DRD detection.

Hydrogenation of hexene catalyzed by a ruthenium (II) complex with N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the mechanism of the inactivated hexene hydrogenation reaction catalyzed by a ruthenium (II) complex containing “N‐heterocyclic carbene” (NHC) ligands, specifically SIMes and CBA, using DFT calculations. Our focus was on RuH(OSO2CF3)(CO)(SIMes)(CBA), which exhibits excellent catalytic behavior. We tested the B3LYP‐D3, cam‐B3LYP, and TPSSh functionals. The hydrogenation reaction is initiated by the release of SIMes rather than CBA due to the lower associated dissociation energy. Our findings indicate a reaction mechanism consisting of two consecutive steps, each involving one hydrogen atom migration. The first step, considered as the kinetically limiting transition state, exhibits a Gibbs free activation barrier of 12.9 kcal mol−1. This step involves two asynchronous processes. The first one describes the migration of the ruthenium hydride to the internal carbon of the olefine function, transitioning from π to σ coordination mode, which promotes the formation of a bond between ruthenium and the terminal olefinic carbon. The second process involves the oxidation of ruthenium from Ru(II) to Ru(IV). This oxidation is crucial as it enables the decomposition of the H2 molecule into two hydrogen atoms bonded to the ruthenium atom. The geometrical structures of the Hidden Reaction Intermediate Ru(II) complex and the quasi‐transition state of the second process have been determined by means of the RIRC technique. The second step entails the migration of one of the newly formed hydrides of the Ru(IV) complex to the terminal olefinic carbon, resulting in the release of hexane with a weak activation Gibbs free energy of .8 kcal mol−1. Lastly, we explored the use of dichloromethane as a solvent, considering the PCM model. The presence of the solvent significantly decreases the energy dissociation of SIMes from 17.9 to 9.0 kcal mol−1, providing notable benefits.

Synthesis and Anticancer Activities of some Ag(I) Complexes Involving N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

AbstractA new study focused on the synthesis of silver(I)‐N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes. The mono‐Ag(I)‐NHC complexes were successfully synthesized in high yield using a direct complexation method, which involved an excess of Ag2O and imidazolium salts (R= butyl, methylacetate) in dichloromethane. The bis‐Ag(I)‐NHC complexes, on the other hand, were synthesized using a 1 : 2 ratio of Ag2O and imidazolium salts. The ligands and resulting complexes were thoroughly characterized using analytical techniques such as FT‐IR, NMR spectroscopy, LC–MS and elemental analysis. Subsequently, the synthesized complexes were tested against MCF7 breast cancer cells. The results of the study highlighted the remarkable anticancer potential exhibited by the Ag(I)‐NHC complexes against breast cancer cells. Interestingly, it was observed that the mono Ag(I) NHC complexes demonstrated greater potency, with IC50 values ranging from 5 to 13.5 μg/mL, when compared to their bis‐Ag(I)‐NHC counterparts.

Exploring the impact of abnormal coordination in macrocyclic N-heterocyclic carbene ligands on bio-inspired iron epoxidation catalysis

Macrocyclic and abnormal NHC iron complexes are characterised, showing high catalytic activity in epoxidation reaction and potential for ligand design.

Greening up organic reactions with caffeine: applications, recent developments, and future directions.

Numerous studies in the field of alkaloid chemistry have provided researchers with valuable insights into their unique properties as catalysts. Among the diverse natural catalysts, caffeine has emerged as a green, expedient, and biodegradable catalyst with high efficiency and applicability. Interest in using caffeine as a catalyst has burgeoned over the past few years with its role in diverse multicomponent reactions. Preparation of its imidazolium salts and further conversion to Nitrogen Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) ligands and ionic liquids offers new paradigms. Caffeine has also played a multifaceted role as a support material in influencing the structural properties of nanoparticles. We hope that the chemistry of caffeine and its applications for sustainable organic transformations discussed in this review will stimulate new thinking and open new avenues in this field.

Fabrication of azido-PEG-NHC stabilized gold nanoparticles as a functionalizable platform.

Rapid and precise detection of biochemical markers is vital for accurate medical diagnosis. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have emerged as promising candidates for diagnostic sensing due to their biocompatibility and distinctive physical properties. However, AuNPs functionalized with selective targeting vectors often suffer from reduced stability in complex biological environments. To address this, (N)-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been investigated for their robust binding affinity to AuNP surfaces, enhancing stability. This study outlines an optimized top-down synthesis route for highly stable, azide-terminal PEGylated NHC (PEG-NHC) functionalized AuNPs. This process employs well-defined oleylamine-protected AuNPs and masked PEGylated NHC precursors. The activation and attachment mechanisms of the masked NHCs were elucidated through the identification of intermediate AuNPs formed during incomplete ligand exchange. The resulting PEG-NHC@AuNPs exhibit exceptional colloidal stability across various biologically relevant media, showing no significant aggregation or ripening over extended periods. These particles demonstrate superior stability compared to those synthesized via a bottom-up approach. Further functionalization of azide-terminal PEG-NHC@AuNPs was achieved through copper-catalyzed click- and bioorthogonal strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions. The maintained colloidal stability and successful conjugation highlight the potential of azide-functionalized PEG-NHC@AuNPs as a versatile platform for a wide range of biomedical applications.

Copper-Metallized Porous N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand Polymer-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective 1,2-Carboboration of Alkynes.

Alkenylboronates are highly versatile building blocks and valuable reagents in the synthesis of complex molecules. Compared with that of monosubstituted alkenylboronates, the synthesis of multisubstituted alkenylboronates is challenging. The copper-catalyzed carboboration of alkynes is an operationally simple and straightforward method for synthesizing bis/trisubstituted alkenylboronates. In this work, a series of copper-metallized N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) ligand porous polymer catalysts are designed and synthesized in accordance with the mechanism of carboboration. By using CuCl@POL-NHC-Ph as the optimal nanocatalyst, this study realizes the β-regio- and stereoselective (syn-addition) 1,2-carboboration of alkynes (regioselectivity up to >99:1) with satisfactory yields and a wide range of substrates. This work not only overcomes the selectivity of carboboration but also provides a new strategy for the design of nanocatalysts and their application in organic synthesis.

Design and Synthesis of a Palladium(II) Complex of a CNHCNN Pincer-Type N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Application towards the Oxidative Amidation of Aldehydes with 2-Aminopyridines

Design and Synthesis of a Palladium(II) Complex of a C_NHCNN Pincer-Type <i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Application towards the Oxidative Amidation of Aldehydes with 2-Aminopyridines

C–S couplings catalyzed by Ni(II) complexes of the type [(NHC)Ni(Cp)(Br)

The catalytic activities of three Ni(II) complexes with fluorinated and non–fluorinated N–heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands were evaluated in the C–S cross–coupling reaction between iodobenzene and thiophenol. The complexes with fluorinated–NHC ligands exhibited lower catalytic activities compared to the non–fluorinated derivative. This can be attributed to the lower electron–donating character of the fluorinated ligands in comparison to the non–fluorinated ligand. Complex 3–Ni was tested towards different substrates, achieving moderate to good conversions. Additionally, the reaction mechanism of the C–S cross–coupling using two substrates, tert–butylthiol and 2,4–dichlorobenzenethiol, was determined. Tert–butylthiol produced a stable intermediate that inhibited the last step of the reaction mechanism (reductive elimination). On the other hand, 2,4–dichlorobenzenethiol formed a less stable intermediate, favoring the reductive elimination. This observation aligns with the lower yield observed when using tert–butylthiol compared to 2,4–dichlorobenzenethiol (20% vs 99%).

Biological and Catalytic Applications of Pd(II)‐Indenyl Complexes Bearing Phosphine andN‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands

AbstractA general synthetic entryway into novel cationic Pd(II) indenyl complexes bearing one alkyl/aryl phosphine and oneN‐heterocyclic carbene is reported. All metal complexes have been exhaustively characterized by spectroscopic and structural analyses, highlighting that the indenyl fragment has an hapticity intermediate between η3and η5. Most of the target complexes are stable in solid state and in solution for a long time. Two different applications of these organopalladium compounds are proposed. Firstly, they have been tested as antiproliferative agents towards three different ovarian cancer cell lines, showing a cytotoxicity significantly higher than that of cisplatin, with a clear dependence on the nature of the coordinated phosphine. Moreover, the similar cytotoxicity towards cisplatin‐sensitive and cisplatin‐resistant cell lines suggests that these new palladium derivatives act with a different mechanism of action with respect to classical platinum‐based drugs.Finally, the water‐soluble palladium complexes bearing 1,3,5‐triaza‐7‐phosphaadamantane (PTA) have demonstrated interesting catalytic performances in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling in aqueous media, being, inter alia, readily and efficiently recyclable.

“Greening” Ruthenium–Arene Catalyst Precursors with N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands Derived from Caffeine and Theophylline

Two ruthenium–arene complexes with the generic formula [RuCl2(p-cymene)(NHC)] were readily obtained from natural, abundant, and renewable methylxanthine alkaloids used as N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors. After optimization, the known compound Ru-1 featuring the 1,3,7,9-tetramethylxanthine-8-ylidene ligand was isolated in three steps and 72% overall yield starting from caffeine. Four steps were needed to synthesize complex Ru-2, which sported the bulkier 7-isobutyl-1,3,9-trimethylxanthine-8-ylidene ligand, in 41% overall yield starting from theophylline. Multinuclear NMR analysis confirmed the presence of p-cymene and an NHC ligand within the coordination sphere of both products. Yet, they exhibited a significantly different dynamic behavior in solution at room temperature, due to the larger size of the isobutyl chain compared to a methyl group, which severely restricted the rotation of the arene ligand and caused a loss of symmetry. Complexes Ru-1 and Ru-2 were both highly active catalyst precursors for the transfer hydrogenation of unsaturated substrates with isopropanol under basic conditions (11 examples). They were also efficient promoters for the oxidation of alkenes with sodium periodate. Last but not least, they triggered the synthesis of vinyl esters from 1-hexyne and benzoic acid. For this later reaction, the product distribution varied markedly with the nature of the NHC ligand. Altogether, this study demonstrated that the combination of a labile p-cymene ligand and an ancillary NHC ligand derived from caffeine or theophylline provided an efficient and sustainable access to a wealth of highly active Ru–hydride, −oxo, or −alkyne species that were able to catalyze three miscellaneous organic transformations.

Tunable Unsymmetrical Chiral N -Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Borylative Cyclization: Ligand Controlled Diastereoselectivity Reversal

Tunable Unsymmetrical Chiral <i>N</i> -Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for Highly Diastereo- and Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Tandem Borylative Cyclization: Ligand Controlled Diastereoselectivity Reversal

Dinuclear silver(I)‐ and gold(I)‐ N heterocyclic carbene complexes; Synthesis, structural characterizations, photoluminescence and theoretical studies

Herein, a new family of cationic Ag(I)- and Au(I)-, complexes ligated to a novel C∩N donor N- heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand 3-methyl-1-(1-methyl-2-methylbenzoyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene, (1) are described. Compound 3-methyl-1-(1-methyl-2-methylbenzoyl)imidazolium hexafluorophosphate (1.HPF6) essentially serves as a carbene precursor that delivers the NHC carbene to Ag(I) and Au(I). The corresponding complex [{Ag(1)}{PF6}]2,(2), was prepared using mild base Ag2O and 3-methyl-1-(1-methyl-2-methylbenzoyl)imidazolium hexafluorophosphate (1.HPF6). Transmetallation method was capitalized to synthesize [{Au(1)}{PF6}]2,(3). All the novel compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, HR mass spectroscopic studies, and finally by single crystal X-ray studies. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed that the dinuclear complex 2 and 3 adopt linear geometry (Ccarbene-Ag/Au-Nimi) where strong Ag–Ag and Au–Au interaction present. The structural assignments were further supported by DFT calculations. TDDFT studies have been performed to inside into the electronic properties.

Synthesis, structures, and photophysical properties of two Cu(I) complexes supported by N-heterocyclic carbene and phosphine ligands

Abstract Two new cationic four-coordinate Cu(I) complexes supported by different chelating N-heterocyclic carbene ligands and the diphosphine ligand bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether (POP) have been synthesized. The chemical structures of both complexes have been characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 31P NMR, and mass spectroscopy, and the crystal structure of one complex has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Results of theoretical calculations indicate that the lowest energy electronic transitions of these complexes are mainly the metal-to-ligand charge transfer and ligand-to-ligand charge transfer transitions. The complexes in solid state show intense emissions with high photoluminescence quantum yields. The photophysical behavior at 298 and 77K shows that emissions of these complexes at room temperature are thermally activated delayed fluorescence mixed with phosphorescence.

Silver(I) N–heterocyclic carbene complex encapsulated in cellulose acetate membranes for hydrogen gas purification

Coinage metal complexes bearing N–heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands are important in discovery of new metal-based drugs, however, their usage in homogenous and heterogeneous catalysis, photocatalysis, gas purification, etc., are scarce. In this report, the performance of a silver(I)–NHC encapsulated membrane for hydrogen gas purification is reported. Gas purification materials or membranes play a crucial role in the manufacture of pure hydrogen gas, a green fuel, at industrial levels. The purification of hydrogen gas has been carried out conventionally following solid-state diffusion method using silver-palladium metal alloy-based membranes. Though the efficiency of these membranes is acceptable, their cost of preparation is economically nonviable, and hence a new method has been developed to purify hydrogen gas using silver(I)-NHC complex encapsulated cellulose acetate membranes. The complex encapsulated membranes possess promising elongation strength and tensile modulus. The optimum composite membrane showed good separation efficiency with ideal selectivity of 2.0, 65 and 32 for H2/CO2, H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4, respectively.

Isolation of a Cu-H Monomer Enabled by Remote Steric Substitution of a N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Stoichiometric Insertion and Catalytic Hydroboration of Internal Alkenes.

Transient Cu-H monomers have long been invoked in the mechanisms of substrate insertion in Cu-H catalysis. Their role from Cu-H aggregates has been mostly inferred since ligands to stabilize these monomeric intermediates for systematic studies remain limited. Within the last decade, new sterically demanding N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have led to isolable Cu-H dimers and, in some cases, spectroscopic characterization of Cu-H monomers in solution. We report an NHC ligand, IPr*R, containing para R groups of CHPh2 and CPh3 on the ligand periphery for the isolation of a Cu-H monomer for insertion of internal alkenes. This reactivity has not been reported for (NHC)CuH complexes despite their common application in Cu-H-catalyzed hydrofunctionalization. Changing from CHPh2 to CPh3 impacts the relative concentration of Cu-H monomers, rate of alkene insertion, and reaction of a trisubstituted internal alkene. Specifically, for R = CPh3, monomeric (IPr*CPh3)CuH was isolated and provided >95% monomer (10 mM in C6D6). In contrast, for R = CHPh2, solutions of [(IPr*CHPh2)CuH]2 are 80% dimer and 20% (IPr*CHPh2)CuH monomer at 25 °C based on 1H, 13C, and 1H-13C HMBC NMR spectroscopy. Quantitative 1H NMR kinetic studies on cyclopentene insertion into Cu-H complexes to form the corresponding Cu-cyclopentyl complexes demonstrate a strong dependence on the rate of insertion and concentration of the Cu-H monomer. Only (IPr*CPh3)CuH, which has a high monomer concentration, underwent regioselective insertion of a trisubstituted internal alkene, 1-methylcyclopentene, to give (IPr*CPh3)Cu(2-methylcyclopentyl), which has been crystallographically characterized. We also demonstrated that (IPr*CPh3)CuH catalyzes the hydroboration of cyclopentene and methylcyclopentene with pinacolborane.

Palladium, iridium, and rhodium complexes bearing chiral N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands applied in asymmetric catalysis

The field of asymmetric catalysis is rapidly developing and the chiral ligands play a key role in enantioselective transition‐metal catalysis. The electron‐rich chiral N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have established themselves as a popular class of stereodirecting ancillary ligands to catalyze enantioselective organic transformations in more efficient ways. Several novel transition‐metal complexes in combination with tailored ligand design have emerged during last few decades in asymmetric catalysis. The tailor‐made NHCs can easily be accessed due to the modular synthesis of their parent azolium salt precursors. Their donor capability and the molecular shape can easily be tuned by changing substituent at N‐atom or by changing the cyclic backbone framework. This review article aims to describe the recent advances in this rapidly evolving research area of enantioselective catalysis using well‐defined transition‐metal complexes possessing chiral NHC donor ligands.

Indenyl and Allyl Palladate Complexes BearingN‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands: an Easily Accessible Class of New Anticancer Drug Candidates

AbstractThe mechanochemical syntheses of allyl and indenyl palladate complexes are reported. All compounds were obtained in quantitative yields and microanalytically pure without the need of any workup. These complexes are stable in chlorinated and polar (DMSO or DMSO/H2O solutions) solvents. In chlorinated solvents, they appear as ionic pairs of which crystals suitable for single X‐ray diffraction studies have been obtained. Bonding and solvation properties are rationalized through scalar relativistic DFT calculations. Moreover, most complexes showed excellent cytotoxicity towards ovarian cancer cell lines, with IC50values comparable or lower than cisplatin. The potent anticancer activity of two IPrCland IPr*‐based palladate complexes was examined in a high‐grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patient‐derived tumoroid. Moreover, the inhibition of the antioxidant enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) was noticed, and structure‐activity relationships could be derived, suggesting the ROS detoxifying system is involved in the mode of action.

Boosting Palladium-Catalyzed Aryl-Nitro Bond Activation Reaction by Understanding the Electronic, Electrostatic, and Polarization Effect: A Computational Study from a Basic Understanding to Ligand Design.

Although palladium-catalyzed aryl-nitro bond activation reaction has recently gained a lot of interest, it still requires rather harsh conditions. We here systematically explore the substituent effect on oxidative addition steps, known as the rate-determining step, by density functional theory simulations based on a Nakao's nitrogen heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand. The key aryl ring on the catalyst, ring A, acts as a π-donor and stabilizes the palladium center of the transition state, and thus an electron-rich ring A is expected to lower the barrier. However, the polarization and electrostatic effects were shown to be more important, although they were often ignored before. These effects originate from through-space interaction with a nitro group in the resting state, and the overall effect is that any polarizable or partly negative group near ortho- or meta-site of ring A is harmful for the reaction. Based on these discoveries, we proposed a list of guidelines for successful ligand developments and designed several new ligands. These ligands exhibit a significantly lower barrier than the reported Nakao's ligand by as large as ∼5 kcal/mol, in both gas phase and solvent with a moderate dipole. These candidates will promote further experimental studies and enhance the ability to improve ligands in a rational and predictive manner.

Yellow–green luminescence of four-coordinate copper(I) complexes bearing N–heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands: Synthesis, photophysical and computational studies

The synthesis and photophysical investigation of a series of six copper(I) complexes bearing benzimidazolylidene–type N–heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands with different groups are reported. Their photophysical properties can be tuned by adjusting the groups at the R1/R2 positions of the pyridine ring. The lowest-lying metal–to–ligand (MLCT) absorption bands at 325–437 nm can be observed for all the complexes. Upon excitation with UV light all the complexes emit bright yellow-green light (λem = 540–573 nm) with higher emission quantum yields of 21.1–55.6% and excited state lifetimes on the microsecond scale (τ = 30.6–62.1 μs) in PMMA films. The substituents (R2 = COCH3, F, Br, CH3, or OCH3) on R2–position of the pyridine ring were shown to have effects on the emission wavelengths of these complexes, while the introduction of R1 substituents (R1 = CH3) shows negligible effects on the emission wavelength but allow the enhancement of photoluminescence quantum yield (Φ) of the complexes. Additionally, the electronic properties, absorption and emission profiles of these complexes were further explored using DFT/TDDFT methods.