Oxime Ether Radical Cations Stabilized by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) nitric oxide (NHCNO) radicals, which can be regarded as iminoxyl radicals stabilized by NHCs, were found to react with a series of silyl and alkyl triflates to generate the corresponding oxime ether radical cations. The structures of the resulting oxime ether radical cations were determined by X-ray crystallography, along with EPR and computational analysis. In contrast, lutidinium triflate produced a 1:1 mixture of [NHCNO+][OTf-] and [NHCNHOH+][OTf-] upon the reaction with NHCNO. This study adds an important example of stable singlet carbenes for stabilizing main-group radicals because of their pi-conjugating effect, the synthesis and structures of which have not been reported previously.