To investigate effects of redox-active functional groups on the coordination chemistry and electronic properties of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), we prepared a series of complexes comprising 1,3-diferrocenylimidazolylidene and -benzimidazolylidene (1 and 2, respectively), 1-ferrocenyl-3-methyl-and 1,3-diphenyl-5-ferrocenylbenzimidazolylidene (3 and 4, respectively), N,N 0 -diisobutyldiaminocarbene[3]ferrocenophane (FcDAC), and 1,3-dimesitylnaphthoquinoimidazolylidene (NqMes) ligands and coordinated [Ir(COD)Cl] (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene), [Ir(CO) 2 Cl], and [M(CO) 5 ] (M=Cr, Mo, W) units. The coordination chemistry of the aforementioned NHCs was investigated by X-ray crystallography, and their electronic properties were studied by NMR and IR spectroscopy, as well as electrochemistry. No significant variation in ν CO was observed among metal carbonyl complexes supported by 2-4 and FcDAC, indicating that the number (one vs two) of redoxactive groups, the location (N atom vs backbone) of the redox-active group, and carbene ring identities (strained six-membered, nonaromatic vs five-membered, heteroaromatic) did not have a significant effect on ligand electron-donating ability. Because the shifts in ν CO upon oxidation of 1-3 and FcDAC were similar in magnitude but opposite in sign to NqMes, we conclude that the enhancement or attenuation of ligand donating is primarily Coulombic in origin (i.e., due to the molecule acquiring a positive or negative charge).

The first examples of ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts containing acyclic diaminocarbene (ADC) ligands are reported. Complexes of the type (ADC)(SIMes)Cl 2 RudCHPh andwere synthesized and studied in solution as well as in the solid state. Depending on their N-substituents and the metal center to which they were coordinated, the aforementioned ADC ligands were found to adopt different conformations. Preliminary investigations revealed that these Ru complexes exhibited high catalytic activities in a variety of olefin metathesis reactions at elevated temperatures and afforded cross-metathesis products with significantly lower E:Z ratios than catalysts containing analogous N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.