3-(1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorooctyl)-1-vinylimidazolium chloride [2126844–17–3], a strong fluorosurfactant with remarkably high solubility in water, was expediently converted into the respective doubly NHC-complexed silver salt with nitrate as counter ion in quantitative yield. Due to its vinyl substituents, [bis(3-(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl)-1-vinylimidazol-2-ylidene)silver(I)] nitrate, Ag(FNHC)₂NO₃, represents a polymerizable N-heterocyclic carbene transfer reagent, thus potentially offering simple and robust access to coordination polymers with crosslinking metal bridges. The compound was characterized by infrared and NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry as well as elemental analysis, and supplemented by X-ray single-crystal structure determination. It crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system in the space group P2₁/c. With 173.3°, the geometry of the Ag-carbene bridge deviates slightly from linearity. The disordered perfluoroalkyl side chains exhibit a helical conformation.

Vinylimidazolium salts constitute a highly relevant class of polymerizable heterocycles, especially in the field of so-called polymer ionic liquids (PILs), and they are frequently used as components of polyelectrolytes. Therefore, crystallographic characterizations, in particular studies of charge distribution and conformational features, can provide fundamental insights concerning ion–ion and ion–dipole interactions. The structure of the title compound [1046127-79-0] has the space group symmetry P2₁/c. Its asymmetric unit contains one formula unit, consisting of two bromide anions and the halves of two cation moieties. The cation units possess inversion symmetry, and their C₆H₁₂ chains adopt an all-trans conformation.