N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are extremely valuable as nucleophilic organocatalysts. They are widely applied as ligands in transition-metal catalysed reactions, where they are known as particularly potent σ-donors. They are commonly viewed as workhorses exhibiting reliable, but undramatic, chemical behaviour. The N → C_carbene π-donation stabilises NHCs at the expense of low reactivity towards nucleophiles. In contrast to NHCs, stable (alkyl)(amino)carbenes exhibit spectacular reactivity, allowing, for example, the splitting of hydrogen and ammonia and the fixation of carbon monoxide. NHCs have been judged to be electronically not suitable for showing similar reactivity. Here, we demonstrate that a ferrocene-based NHC is able to add ammonia, methyl acrylate, tert-butyl isocyanide, and carbon monoxide—reactions typical of (alkyl)(amino)carbenes, but unprecedented for diaminocarbenes. We also show that even the simplest stable diaminocarbene, C(NiPr₂)₂ , adds CO. This reaction affords a β-lactam by a subsequent intramolecular process involving a C–H activation. Our results shed new light on the chemistry of diaminocarbenes and offer great potential for synthetic chemistry and catalysis.

Reaction of achiral 2,5-diphenyl-3,4-di(3-pyridyl)cyclopenta-2,4-dien-1-one (2) with ZnCl₂ and HgBr₂, respectively, afforded the helically chiral coordination polymers [(2)ZnCl₂]_∞ and [(2)HgBr₂]_∞, which show spontaneous chiral resolution, forming colonies of homochiral crystals.

Thin films of 1,3-diethylbenzimidazol-2-ylidene (BIEt) were fabricated from THF solution on solid gold substrates and characterised by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The surface-analytical data are in accord with the formation of self-assembled monolayers of BIEt molecules exhibiting an approximately vertical orientation on the substrate. The crystal structure of (BIEt)2 was also determined.

A stable six-membered N-heterocyclic carbene with a redox-active ferrocene-based backbone was prepared, characterised by X-ray crystallography and utilised as a ligand for the preparation of expected and unexpected metal complexes.

Dppf is one of the most useful and popular ligands in coordination chemistry. Its overwhelming success has overshadowed and arguably even delayed the development and use of closely related ferrocene-based ligands with two ligating N, O or S atoms. Recently, however, dynamic progress concerning such homo-donor ligands can be noted. This tutorial review describes the main results obtained over the past decade in order to introduce the reader to an exciting field which currently shows particularly rapid development. The material is organised in sections according to ligand type, followed by a section which summarises the applications reported so far.

The analytical reagent Nitron is a mesoionic compound whose structure consists of a cationic triazolium unit with an anionic PhN substituent. We provide clear evidence for the existence of a singlet diaminocarbene tautomer whose structure is composed of a 1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene unit bearing an NHPh substituent.