Uncommon carbene-to-azole ligand rearrangement of N-heterocyclic carbenes in a ruthenium system

The study of non-innocent behavior of NHCs (NHCs = N-heterocyclic carbenes) has great implications for NHC-involved catalysis. Herein, we report a new type of NHC-to-azole rearrangement, during which process the carbene backbone and the substituent are both non-innocent. To the best of our knowledge, this work also presents the first example of NHC-to-azole rearrangements for aryl-substituted NHCs.

Automated summary

The study reveals a new type of NHC-to-azole rearrangement, in which both the carbene backbone and the substituent are non-innocent. This is the first example of NHC-to-azole rearrangements for aryl-substituted NHCs.