Functionalised Saturated-Backbone Carbene Ligands: Yttrium and Uranyl Alkoxy-Carbene Complexes and Bicyclic Carbene-Alcohol Adducts

A new and modular route to bidentate ligands that combines an alkoxide with a saturated backbone N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) is presented. The bi(heterocyclic) compounds are formally the addition product of a saturated NHC and the alcohol group of the N-functionalised arm. Using these Compounds, the synthesis and structural characterisation of the first electro-positive metal complexes of saturated N-heterocyclic carbenes has been achieved, and examples Structurally characterised for the yttrium(III) and the uranyl [UO2](2+) cations.