Deprotonated sydnones, which can be represented as anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes, were prepared as Li adducts and compared with deprotonated O-ethylsydnones (5-ethoxy-1,2,3-oxadiazol-4-ylidenes) which belong to the class of abnormal NHCs. The Pd complexes of the sydnone anions (X-ray analysis) as well as of the O-ethylsydnone carbenes proved to be efficient catalysts in aryl couplings of thiophenes.

Anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes derived from sydnone imines such as molsidomine. Trapping reactions with selenium, palladium, and gold.

Some mesoionic compounds, i.e. five-membered representatives of the class of conjugated mesomeric betaines (CMB), are in equilibrium with their tautomeric normal N-heterocyclic carbenes (nNHC). In addition, anionic N-heterocyclic carbenes, generated by deprotonation of mesoionic compounds, have been described. The first examples of conversions of crossconjugated mesomeric betaines (CCMB), 6-oxopyrimidinium-4-olates, into normal Nheterocyclic carbenes have been reported as well. CCMB such as imidazolium-4-carboxylate and pyrazolium-4-carboxylate can decarboxylate to form abnormal (aNHC) or remote N-heterocyclic carbenes (rNHC). Most conversions of betaines into N-heterocyclic carbenes start from pseudocross-conjugated mesomeric betaines (PCCMB) which can be regarded as heterocumulene adducts of nNHC. Thus, decarboxylations of imidazolium-2-carboxylates, 1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxylates, pyrazolium-3-carboxylates or indazolium-3-carboxylates yield N-heterocyclic carbenes which have been used in catalysis, complex chemistry, heterocyclic synthesis, and organocatalysis.

The anion of N-phenylsydnone, which can be generated on treatment of N-phenylsydnone with cyanomethyllithium without decomposition, can be represented as tripolar zwitterionic and as anionic N-heterocyclic carbene resonance forms. Its palladium complex was prepared from 4-bromo-3-phenylsydnone and tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium and proved to be active as catalyst in Suzuki-Miyaura reactions. Thus, 2,5-dibromo-3,4-dinitrothiophene was effectively converted into 2,5-diaryl-3,4-dinitrothiophenes with 1-naphthyl, (4-trifluoromethoxy)phenyl, [4-(methylsulfanyl)phenyl], and biphenyl-4-yl boronic acid. 3-(Phenanthren-9-yl)quinoline was prepared by Suzuki-Miyaura reaction starting from 3-bromoquinoline. 1-Chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene cross-coupled with phenyl boronic acid, 1-naphthyl boronic acid, 9-phenanthryl boronic acid. 4-Bromobenzylic alcohol gave (4-isopropylphenyl)methanol on sydnone-palladium complex-catalyzed reaction with isopropyl boronic acid.

We report the improved direct access to red-emitting BOIMPY fluorophores (λ ≈ 600 nm) via a simple one-pot approach. Our method starts from easily available benzimidazole-2-carboxylic acids and not only greatly improves the overall yields but also saves both costly reagents and time. In addition, the method facilitates the synthesis of novel unsymmetrical BOIMPY motifs. Therefore, these BOIMPY scaffolds derived from the BODIPY core become more accessible for applications as fluorophores at the appealing red edge of the visible spectrum.