Easy activation of two C-H bonds of an N-heterocyclic carbene N-methyl group.

The first trinuclear clusters containing NHC ligands are described; the compound [Ru3(Me2Im)(CO)11](Me2Im=1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene) is easily converted into [Ru3(mu-H)2(mu3-MeImCH)(CO)9] by a process involving the activation of two C-H bonds of a methyl group that is an example of degradation of a metal-coordinated NHC ligand under mild conditions.