The in vogue N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have attracted attention largely for its new found popularity in chemical catalysis and also for displaying promising traits in biomedical applications. The current perspective provides an account of our efforts in exploring the utility of N/O-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbenes in these two areas. On the catalysis front, we have employed the N/O-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene based precatalysts for the C–C and C–N bond forming reactions like the Suzuki–Miyaura, Sonogashira and Hiyama cross-couplings, the base-free Michael addition, the alkene and alkyne hydroamination reactions and the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactides that produce biodegradable polylactide polymers while on the biomedical application front, the anticancer and antimicrobial properties of these N/O-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene complexes were evaluated. Towards this objective, the N-heterocyclic carbene chemistry of a variety of transition metals like Ag, Au, Ni and Pd has been investigated.

A series of new PEPPSI (Pyridine Enhanced Precatalyst Preparation Stabilization and Initiation) themed precatalysts of abnormal N-heterocyclic carbenes for the highly desirable Cu-free and amine-free Sonogashira coupling in air in a mixed-aqueous medium is reported. Specifically, the PEPPSI themed (NHC)PdI₂(pyridine) type precatalysts, 1b–4b, efficiently carried out the highly convenient Cu-free and amine-free Sonogashira coupling of aryl bromides and iodides with terminal acetylenes in air in a mixed aqueous medium. Complexes, 1b–4b, were synthesized by the direct reaction of the corresponding imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinium iodide salts, 1a–4a, with PdCl₂ in pyridine in the presence of K₂CO₃ as a base while the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinium iodide salts, 1a–4a, were in turn synthesized by the alkylation reactions of the respective imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine derivatives with alkyl iodides. The density functional theory (DFT) studies revealed that these imidazol-3-ylidene[1,2-a]pyridine derived abnormal carbenes are strongly σ-donating and consequently significantly weaken the catalytically important labile trans pyridine ligand in 1b–4b.