Synthesis of mixed silylene-carbene chelate ligands from N-heterocyclic silylcarbenes mediated by nickel.

The Ni(II) -mediated tautomerization of the N-heterocyclic hydrosilylcarbene L(2) Si(H)(CH2 )NHC 1, where L(2) =CH(CCH2 )(CMe)(NAr)2 , Ar=2,6-iPr2 C6 H3 ; NHC=3,4,5-trimethylimidazol-2-yliden-6-yl, leads to the first N-heterocyclic silylene (NHSi)-carbene (NHC) chelate ligand in the dibromo nickel(II) complex [L(1) Si:(CH2 )(NHC)NiBr2 ] 2 (L(1) =CH(MeCNAr)2 ). Reduction of 2 with KC8 in the presence of PMe3 as an auxiliary ligand afforded, depending on the reaction time, the N-heterocyclic silyl-NHC bromo Ni(II) complex [L(2) Si(CH2 )NHCNiBr(PMe3 )] 3 and the unique Ni(0) complex [η(2) (Si-H){L(2) Si(H)(CH2 )NHC}Ni(PMe3 )2 ] 4 featuring an agostic SiH→Ni bonding interaction. When 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphino)ethane (DMPE) was employed as an exogenous ligand, the first NHSi-NHC chelate-ligand-stabilized Ni(0) complex [L(1) Si:(CH2 )NHCNi(dmpe)] 5 could be isolated. Moreover, the dicarbonyl Ni(0) complex 6, [L(1) Si:(CH2 )NHCNi(CO)2 ], is easily accessible by the reduction of 2 with K(BHEt3 ) under a CO atmosphere. The complexes were spectroscopically and structurally characterized. Furthermore, complex 2 can serve as an efficient precatalyst for Kumada-Corriu-type cross-coupling reactions.