Presents the most innovative results in carbene chemistry, setting the foundation for new discoveries and applications The discovery of stable carbenes has reinvigorated carbene chemistry research, with investigators seeking to develop carbenes into new useful catalysts and ligands. Presenting the most innovative and promising areas of carbene research over the past decade, this book explores newly discovered structural, catalytic, and organometallic aspects of carbene chemistry, with an emphasis on new and emerging synthetic applications. Contemporary Carbene Chemistry features contributions from an international team of pioneering carbene chemistry researchers. Collectively, these authors have highlighted the most interesting and promising areas of investigation in the field. The book is divided into two parts: Part 1, Properties and Reactions of Carbenes, explores new findings on carbene stability, acid-base behavior, and catalysis. Carbenic structure and reactivity are examined in chapters dedicated to stable carbenes, carbodicarbenes, carbenes as guests in supramolecular hosts, tunneling in carbene and oxacarbene reactions, and ultrafast kinetics of carbenes and their excited state precursors. Theoretical concerns are addressed in chapters on computational methods and dynamics applied to carbene reactions. Part 2, Metal Carbenes, is dedicated to the synthetic dimensions of carbenes, particularly the reactions and catalytic properties of metal carbenes. The authors discuss lithium, rhodium, ruthenium, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, cobalt, and gold. All the chapters conclude with a summary of the current situation, new challenges on the horizon, and promising new research directions. A list of key reviews and suggestions for further reading also accompanies every chapter. Each volume of the Wiley Series on Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology focuses on a specific reactive intermediate, offering a broad range of perspectives from leading experts that sets the stage for new applications and further discoveries.

Highlights recent discoveries in the development of rapid kinetic techniques that allow for direct visualization and state-of-the-art computational methods.

In less than 20 years N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have become well-established ancillary ligands for the preparation of transition metal-based catalysts. This is mainly due to the fact that NHCs tend to bind strongly to metal centres, avoiding the need of excess ligand in catalytic reactions. Also, NHC‒metal complexes are often insensitive to air and moisture, and have proven remarkably resistant to oxidation. This book showcases the wide variety of applications of NHCs in different chemistry fields beyond being simple phosphine mimics. This second edition has been updated throughout, and now includes a new chapter on NHC‒main group element complexes. It covers the synthesis of NHC ligands and their corresponding metal complexes, as well as their bonding and stereoelectronic properties and applications in catalysis. This is complemented by related topics such as organocatalysis and biologically active complexes. Written for organic and inorganic chemists, this book is ideal for postgraduates, researchers and industrialists.

The Organometallic Chemistry of N-heterocyclic Carbenes describes various aspects of N-heterocyclic Carbenes (NHCs) and their transition metal complexes at an entry level suitable for advanced undergraduate students and above. The book starts with a historical overview on the quest for carbenes and their complexes. Subsequently, unique properties, reactivities and nomenclature of the four classical NHCs derived from imidazoline, imidazole, benzimidazole and 1,2,4-triazole are elaborated. General and historically relevant synthetic aspects for NHCs, their precursors and complexes are then explained. The book continues with coverage on the preparation and characteristics of selected NHC complexes containing the most common metals in this area, i.e. Ni, Pd, Pt, Ag, Cu, Au, Ru, Rh and Ir. The book concludes with an overview and outlook on the development of various non-classical NHCs beyond the four classical types. Topics covered include: Stabilization, dimerization and decomposition of NHCs Stereoelectronic properties of NHCs and their evaluation Diversity of NHCs Isomers of NHC complexes and their identification NMR spectroscopic signatures of NHC complexes normal, abnormal and mesoionic NHCs The Organometallic Chemistry of N-heterocyclic Carbenes is an essential resource for all students and researchers interested in this increasingly important and popular field of research.

Carbenes are important molecules in chemistry because of their photochemistry and high reactivity. They have many potential applications in medicinal and materials chemistry. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to carbenes and discusses their characteristics, structure, and synthesis procedures. It gives special emphasis to N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and their metal complexes.

With contributions by numerous experts