A 4,5-diphosphino-substituted imidazolium salt: a building block for the modular synthesis of mixed diphosphine-NHC heterometallic complexes.

Fused in the same molecule! An N-heterocyclic carbene and a diphosphine are generated and used in the modular synthesis of a variety of target heterometallic complexes. The experimental approach involves formation of a unique 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,3-dimethyl-imidazolium salt, simply by starting from 1-methylimidazole (see scheme; M(1) = Cr, Mn; M(2) = Au, Rh, Pd; LiHMDS = LiN(SiMe(3))(2)).