Synthesis of Bimetallic
N-heterocyclic Carbene Complexes
Richard J. Rosso, Department of Chemistry, St.
John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Abstract
N-heterocyclic carbenes are quickly becoming viable
alternatives to traditionally utilized phosphine ligands in many
catalytic reactions. These ligands coordinate about ten times more
strongly than their phosphine analogs. This is important since in
many catalytic reactions the loss of the phosphine ligand is the
most common way the catalytic cycle shuts down. We are
currently working on the synthesis new ligand scaffolds based on
N-heterocyclic carbenes for use in bimetallic
hydrogenation and hydroformylation reactions. We believe this
ligand system has great potential, as it is easily tunable both
electronically and structurally and exhibits greater air stability
than its phosphine analogs.