A new ferrocenyl- N-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursor 1,1′-bis[(1- tert-butylimidazolium)-3-methyl]ferrocene dichloride has been synthesised and structurally characterised. The imidazolium salt was readily deprotonated in situ with KN(SiMe 3) 2 and reacted with [PdCl 2 (cod)] to afford the structurally characterised palladium (II) complex trans-[PdCl 2(C ∧fc ∧C)], where (cod) = 1,5-cyclooctadiene and (C ∧fc ∧C) = 1,1′-di- tert-butyl-3,3′-(1,1′-dimethyleneferrocenyl)-diimidazol-2-ylidene.