A sterically demanding nucleophilic carbene: 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). Thermochemistry and catalytic application in olefin metathesis

The sterically demanding nucleophilic carbene ligand 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr, 4) has been synthesized. The reaction of [Cp*RuCl]4 (5; Cp*=η5-C5Me5) with this ligand affords a coordinatively unsaturated Cp*Ru(IPr)Cl (6) complex. Solution calorimetric results in this system provide information concerning the electron donor properties of the carbene ligand. Steric parameters associated with this ligand are determined from the X-ray crystal structure study. The carbene ligand reacts with RuCl2(C(H)Ph)(PCy3)2 (1) to yield a mixed carbene–phosphine ruthenium complex RuCl2(C(H)Ph)(IPr)(PCy3) (9). A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study has been performed on 9. The thermal stability of 9 has been studied at 60°C and its catalytic activity has been evaluated for the ring closing metathesis of diethyldiallylmalonate.