A divacant Keggin polyanion has been decorated with a N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) iridium(I) organometallic complex to provide a molecular model of an Ir-based supported catalyst. The characterization of the hybrid compound has been performed by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and mass spectroscopy, and the results are in agreement with a bisfunctionalization of the polyoxometalate scaffold. The resulting supported homogeneous complex has been successfully used to catalyze the transfer hydrogenation from iPrOH to benzophenone [with a turnover number (TON) of 680 and a turnover frequency (TOF) of up to 540 h^–1].

Two new diiridium–triazolylidene complexes were prepared as bimetallic analogues of established mononuclear water oxidation catalysts. Both complexes are efficient catalyst precursors in the presence of cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) as sacrificial oxidant. Up to 20000:1 ratios of CAN/complex, the turnover limitation is the availability of CAN and not the catalyst stability. The water oxidation activity of the bimetallic complexes is not better than the monometallic species at 0.6 mM catalyst concentration. Under dilute conditions (0.03 mM), the bimetallic complexes double their activity, whereas the monometallic complexes show an opposite trend and display markedly reduced rates, thereby suggesting a benefit of the close proximity of two metal centers in this low concentration regime. The high dependence of catalyst activity on reaction conditions indicates that caution is required when catalysts are compared by their turnover frequencies only.

Metalation of a C2-methylated pyridylimidazolium salt with [IrCp*Cl₂]₂ affords either an ylidic complex, resulting from C(sp³)H bond activation of the C2-bound CH₃ group if the metalation is performed in the presence of a base, such as AgO₂ or Na₂CO₃, or a mesoionic complex via cyclometalation and thermally induced heterocyclic C(sp²)H bond activation, if the reaction is performed in the absence of a base. Similar cyclometalation and complex formation via C(sp²)H bond activation is observed when the heterocyclic ligand precursor consists of the analogous pyridyltriazolium salt, that is, when the metal bonding at the C2 position is blocked by a nitrogen rather than a methyl substituent. Despite the strongly mesoionic character of both the imidazolylidene and the triazolylidene, the former reacts rapidly with D⁺ and undergoes isotope exchange at the heterocyclic C5 position, whereas the triazolylidene ligand is stable and only undergoes H/D exchange under basic conditions, where the imidazolylidene is essentially unreactive. The high stability of the IrC bond in aqueous solution over a broad pH range was exploited in catalytic water oxidation and silane oxidation. The catalytic hydrosilylation of ketones proceeds with turnover frequencies as high as 6 000 h⁻¹ with both the imidazolylidene and the triazolylidene system, whereas water oxidation is enhanced by the stronger donor properties of the imidazol-4-ylidene ligands and is more than three times faster than with the triazolylidene analogue.

A ditopic benzobis(carbene) ligand precursor was prepared that contained a chelating pyridyl moiety to ensure co-planarity of the carbene ligand and the coordination plane of a bound octahedral metal center. Bimetallic ruthenium complexes comprising this ditopic ligand [L₄Ru-C,N-bbi-C,N-RuL₄] were obtained by a transmetalation methodology (C,N-bbi-C,N=benzobis(N-pyridyl-N′-methyl-imidazolylidene). The two metal centers are electronically decoupled when the ruthenium is in a pseudotetrahedral geometry imparted by a cymene spectator ligand (L₄=[(cym)Cl]). Ligand exchange of the Cl⁻/cymene ligands for two bipyridine or four MeCN ligands induced a change of the coordination geometry to octahedral. As a consequence, the ruthenium centers, separated through space by more than 10 Å, become electronically coupled, which is evidenced by two distinctly different metal-centered oxidation processes that are separated by 134 mV (L₄=[(bpy)₂]; bpy=2,2′-bipyridine) and 244 mV (L₄=[(MeCN)₄]), respectively. Hush analysis of the intervalence charge-transfer bands in the mixed-valent species indicates substantial valence delocalization in both complexes (delocalization parameter Γ=0.41 and 0.37 in the bpy and MeCN complexes, respectively). Spectroelectrochemical measurements further indicated that the mixed-valent Ru^II/Ru^III species and the fully oxidized Ru^III/Ru^III complexes gradually decompose when bound to MeCN ligands, whereas the bpy spectators significantly enhance the stability. These results demonstrate the efficiency of carbenes and, in particular, of the bbi ligand scaffold for mediating electron transfer and for the fabrication of molecular redox switches. Moreover, the relevance of spectator ligands is emphasized for tailoring the degree of electronic communication through the benzobis(carbene) linker.

Oxidative addition of donor-functionalised 4-iodoimidazolium salts to palladium(0) provides a selective route for the preparation of abnormal chelating N-heterocyclic carbene complexes and enables the introduction of a variety of donor groups. The activation of the C4 position does not necessitate protection of the imidazolium C2 position, thereby leaving this site available for further modification. While metallation of the unsubstituted C2 position of the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand was unsuccessful when palladium was bound to the C4 carbon atom, sequential metallation of first the C2 position, by means of transmetallation, followed by C4–I oxidative addition, afforded a dimetallic complex comprised of two palladium centres bridged by a single NHC ligand.

Rhodium(III) complexes comprising monoanionic C,C,C-tridentate dicarbene ligands activate SiH bonds and catalyse the hydrolysis of hydrosilanes to form silanols and siloxanes with concomitant release of H₂. In dry MeNO₂, selective formation of siloxanes takes place, while changing conditions to wet THF produces silanols exclusively. Silyl ethers are formed when ROH is used as substrate, thus providing a mild route towards the protection of alcohols with H₂ as the only by-product. With alkynes, comparably fast hydrosilylation takes place, while carbonyl groups are unaffected. Further expansion of the SiH bond activation to dihydrosilanes afforded silicones and polysilyl ethers. Mechanistic investigations using deuterated silane revealed deuterium incorporation into the abnormal carbene ligand and thus suggests a ligand-assisted mechanism involving heterolytic SiH bond cleavage.

A series of PEPPSI-type palladium(II) complexes was synthesized that contain 3-chloropyridine as an easily removable ligand and a triazolylidene as a strongly donating mesoionic spectator ligand. Catalytic tests in Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reactions revealed the activity of these complexes towards aryl bromides and aryl chlorides at moderate temperatures (50 °C). However, the impact of steric shielding was the inverse of that observed with related normal Nheterocyclic carbenes (imidazol-2-ylidenes) and sterically congested mesityl substituents induced lower activity than small alkyl groups. Mechanistic investigations, including mercury poisoning experiments, TEM analyses, and ESI mass spectrometry, provide evidence for ligand dissociation and the formation of nanoparticles as a catalyst resting state. These heterogeneous particles provide a reservoir for soluble palladium atoms or clusters as operationally homogeneous catalysts for the arylation of aryl halides. Clearly, the substitution of a normal N-heterocyclic carbene for a more basic triazolylidene ligand in the precatalyst has a profound impact on the mode of action of the catalytic system.

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ruthenium complexes consisting of different donor substituents attached to the NHC ligand efficiently catalyse the transfer hydrogenation of ketones and of activated olefins in α,β-unsaturated ketones to give saturated alcohols. The most active catalyst precursor contains a tethered olefin as a hemilabile donor site. This complex also converts nitriles and, depending on the reaction conditions, either benzylamines are produced by means of transfer hydrogenation, or amides from formal addition of H₂O. Kinetic analysis of the double hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated ketones indicates fast isomerisation of the enol intermediate to its saturated ketone tautomer prior to the second hydrogenation.

Palladium complexes containing abnormally bound C4-bound dicarbene ligands have been exploited for catalytic alkene hydrogenation. Comparison to normally C2-bound homologues indicates that the carbene bonding mode critically influences the catalytic activity. Good catalytic performance in the hydrogenation of cis-disubstituted olefins and non-isomerizable terminal olefins under mild conditions (RT, 0.1 MPa H₂) only occurs when the carbene is abnormally bound to the palladium center. Detailed mechanistic investigations using dynamic light scattering in connection with time-dependent analysis of conversions, and also performance of substoichiometric catalytic experiments provide evidence that the catalysis is heterogeneous and that the abnormally bound carbene ligand has the role of an activator.