Expeditious synthesis of N′-substituted N-mesitylimidazolium salts as NHC precursors

In contrast to time-consuming, conventional thermal approaches, microwave irradiation provides rapid and convenient access to unsymmetrical N′-substituted N-mesitylimidazolium salts, which are important precursors for NHC ligands used in the construction of metal–NHC complexes.