Unexpected reactions of NHC*-CuI and -AgI bromides with potassium thio- or seleno-cyanate.

The reactions of N-heterocyclic carbene CuI and AgI halides with potassium thio- or seleno-cyanate gave unexpected products. The attempted substitution reaction of bromido-(1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-di-phenyl-imidazol-2-yl-idene)silver (NHC*-Ag-Br) with KSCN yielded bis-[bis-(1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-di-phenyl-imidazol-2-yl-idene)silver(I)] tris-(thio-cyanato)-argentate(I) diethyl ether disolvate, [Ag(C29H24N2)2][Ag(NCS)3]·2C4H10O or [NHC*2Ag]2[Ag(SCN)3]·2Et2O, (1), while reaction with KSeCN led to bis-(μ-1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-diphenyl-2-seleno-imidazole-κ2 Se:Se)bis-[bromido-(1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-diphenyl-2-seleno-imid-azole-κSe)silver(I)] di-chloro-methane hexa-solvate, [Ag2Br2(C29H24N2Se)4]·6CH2Cl2 or (NHC*Se)4Ag2Br2·6CH2Cl2, (2), via oxidation of the NHC* fragment to 2-seleno-imidazole. This oxidation was observed again in the reaction of NHC*-Cu-Br with KSeCN, yielding catena-poly[[[(1,3-dibenzyl-4,5-diphenyl-2-seleno-imidazole-κSe)copper(I)]-μ-cyanido-κ2 C:N] aceto-nitrile monosolvate], {[Cu(CN)(C29H24N2Se)]·C2H3N} n or NHC*Se-CuCN·CH3CN, (3). Compound (1) represents an organic/inorganic salt with AgI in a linear coordination in each of the two cations and in a trigonal coordination in the anion, accompanied by diethyl ether solvent mol-ecules. The tri-blade boomerang-shaped complex anion [Ag(SCN)3]2- present in (1) is characterized by X-ray diffraction for the first time. Compound (2) comprises an isolated centrosymmetric mol-ecule with AgI in a distorted tetra-hedral BrSe3 coordination, together with di-chloro-methane solvent mol-ecules. Compound (3) exhibits a linear polymeric 1 ∞[Cu-C≡N-Cu-] chain structure with a seleno-imidazole moiety additionally coordinating to each CuI atom, and completed by aceto-nitrile solvent mol-ecules. Electron densities associated with an additional ether solvent mol-ecule in (1) and two additional di-chloro-methane solvent mol-ecules in (2) were removed with the SQUEEZE procedure [Spek (2015 ▸). Acta Cryst. C71, 9-18] in PLATON. © Tacke et al. 2019.