Copper and Silver Carbene Complexes without Heteroatom-Stabilization: Structure, Spectroscopy, and Relativistic Effects

Salts of a copper and a silver carbene complex were prepared from dimesityl diazomethane, made possible by the steric shielding of the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ancillary ligand IPr**. The mint-green complex [IPr**Ag=CMes2 ](+) [NTf2 ](-) is the first isolated silver carbene complex without heteroatom donor substituents. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction provides evidence for a predominant carbenoid character, and supports the postulation of such reactive species as intermediates in silver-catalyzed C-H activation reactions. The greenish yellow copper carbene complex [IPr**Cu=CMes2 ](+) [NTf2 ](-) has spectroscopic properties in between the isostructural silver complex and the already reported emerald green gold carbene complex. A comparison in the Group 11 series indicates that relativistic effects are responsible for the strong σ bond and the significant π back-bonding in the gold carbene moiety.