N-Heterocyclic carbenecopper(i), mercury(ii) and silver(i) complexes containing durene linker: synthesis and structural studiesCCDC reference numbers 757348-757355 and 775637. For crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c0ce00142b

• Main Authors: Liu, Qing-Xiang, Chen, Ai-Hui, Zhao, Xiao-Jun, Zang, Yan, Wu, Xiu-Mei, Wang, Xiu-Guang, Guo, Jian-Hua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1466-8033
• DOI: 10.1039/c0ce00142b

The dibenzimidazolium salts bis[ N -(alkyl)benzimidazoliumylmethyl]durene·2X ( 1a : alkyl = C 2 H 5 , X = Br; 1b : alkyl = C 2 H 5 , X = PF 6 ; 1c : alkyl = n -C 3 H 7 , X = Cl; 1d : alkyl = n -C 4 H 9 , X = I; 1e : alkyl = 1-PyCH 2 , X = Br; durene = 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene) and the diimidazolium salt bis[ N -(butyl)imidazoliumylmethyl]durene hexafluorophosphate ( 1f ), and their seven NHC copper( i ), mercury( ii ) and silver( i ) complexes, [durene(CH 2 bimyEt) 2 Cu 2 I 2 ] ( 2b ), [durene(CH 2 bimyEt) 2 HgBr]·0.5[HgBr 4 ] ( 2c ), [durene(CH 2 bimy n Bu) 2 Hg 2 (CHCN)][HgI 4 ] ( 2d ), [durene(CH 2 imy n Bu) 2 Ag 2 (CH 2 CN) 2 ] ( 2e ), [durene(CH 2 bimyPyCH 2 ) 2 Ag 2 Br 2 ] ( 2f ), [durene(CH 2 bimyEt) 2 Ag][PF 6 ] ( 2g ) and [durene(CH 2 bimy n Bu) 2 Ag 2 (OH) 2 ] ( 2h ), as well as one anionic complex [durene(CH 2 benzimidazoliumyl n Pr) 2 ][PdCl 3 (DMSO)] 2 ( 2a ) (bimy = benzimidazol-2-ylidene, imy = imidazol-2-ylidene), have been prepared and characterized. These compounds adopt two diverse conformations ( i.e. , cis - and trans -conformations). In 2d and 2e , an interesting phenomenon is that the α-carbon atoms of deprotonated acetonitrile ([CHCN] 2 − for 2d and [CH 2 CN] − for 2e ) participate in coordination with metal ions. In the crystal packings of these complexes, 1D supramolecular chains or 2D supramolecular layers are formed via intermolecular weak interactions, including π-π interactions, hydrogen bonds and C-H π contacts. A series of new NHC copper( i ), mercury( ii ) and silver( i ) complexes containing durene linkers were prepared and characterized.