Fluorenyl-tethered N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of the heavy alkali metals

Stuart Burnett; Alan R. Kennedy; Stephen M. Mansell; Catherine E. Weetman

doi:10.1039/d5cc06477e

Fluorenyl-tethered N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of the heavy alkali metals

Stuart Burnett, Alan R. Kennedy, Stephen M. Mansell^*, Catherine E. Weetman^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Pure And Applied Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with Group 1 metals remains comparatively underdeveloped relative to their extensive application across the periodic table. Herein, we describe the synthesis of rubidium and caesium complexes incorporating a fluorenyl-tethered NHC ligand. Additionally, the first heterobimetallic Cs/Li NHC complex was obtained via treatment with a combination of alkali metal amide bases.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1157-1160
Number of pages	4
Journal	Chemical Communications
Volume	62
Issue number	4
Early online date	8 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d5cc06477e
Publication status	Published - 15 Jan 2026

Funding

This work was supported by the EPSRC New Investigator Award [EP/Y015754/1]. CEW would like to thank the University of Strathclyde for the award of a Chancellor's Fellowship.

Keywords

N-heterocyclic carbenes
synthetic chemistry
heavy alkali metals

Access to Document

10.1039/d5cc06477eLicence: CC BY 3.0

Burnett-etal-CC-2025-Fluorenyl-tethered-N-heterocyclic-carbene-complexes
Licence for VOR version of this article starting on Dec 08, 2025: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Final published version, 1.41 MBLicence: CC BY 3.0

Developing a Future Green Chemical Economy through Aluminium Bimetallics
Weetman, C. (Principal Investigator)
EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council)
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: Research

Data for "Fluorenyl-Tethered N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of the Heavy Alkali Metals"
Weetman, C. (Creator), Burnett, S. (Contributor), Kennedy, A. (Contributor) & Mansell, S. (Contributor), University of Strathclyde, 10 Dec 2025
DOI: 10.15129/c6ec8b54-de92-4b76-9eb2-bb54af4c2fb4
Dataset

Cite this

@article{c67a8c0a0b5a4923801fa8e7bbaffbcc,

title = "Fluorenyl-tethered N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of the heavy alkali metals",

abstract = "The coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with Group 1 metals remains comparatively underdeveloped relative to their extensive application across the periodic table. Herein, we describe the synthesis of rubidium and caesium complexes incorporating a fluorenyl-tethered NHC ligand. Additionally, the first heterobimetallic Cs/Li NHC complex was obtained via treatment with a combination of alkali metal amide bases.",

keywords = "N-heterocyclic carbenes, synthetic chemistry, heavy alkali metals",

author = "Stuart Burnett and Kennedy, \{Alan R.\} and Mansell, \{Stephen M.\} and Weetman, \{Catherine E.\}",

year = "2026",

month = jan,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1039/d5cc06477e",

language = "English",

volume = "62",

pages = "1157--1160",

journal = "Chemical Communications",

issn = "1359-7345",

publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fluorenyl-tethered N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of the heavy alkali metals

AU - Burnett, Stuart

AU - Kennedy, Alan R.

AU - Mansell, Stephen M.

AU - Weetman, Catherine E.

PY - 2026/1/15

Y1 - 2026/1/15

N2 - The coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with Group 1 metals remains comparatively underdeveloped relative to their extensive application across the periodic table. Herein, we describe the synthesis of rubidium and caesium complexes incorporating a fluorenyl-tethered NHC ligand. Additionally, the first heterobimetallic Cs/Li NHC complex was obtained via treatment with a combination of alkali metal amide bases.

AB - The coordination chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) with Group 1 metals remains comparatively underdeveloped relative to their extensive application across the periodic table. Herein, we describe the synthesis of rubidium and caesium complexes incorporating a fluorenyl-tethered NHC ligand. Additionally, the first heterobimetallic Cs/Li NHC complex was obtained via treatment with a combination of alkali metal amide bases.

KW - N-heterocyclic carbenes

KW - synthetic chemistry

KW - heavy alkali metals

U2 - 10.1039/d5cc06477e

DO - 10.1039/d5cc06477e

M3 - Article

SN - 1359-7345

VL - 62

SP - 1157

EP - 1160

JO - Chemical Communications

JF - Chemical Communications

IS - 4

ER -

Fluorenyl-tethered N-heterocyclic carbene complexes of the heavy alkali metals

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Projects

Developing a Future Green Chemical Economy through Aluminium Bimetallics

Datasets

Data for "Fluorenyl-Tethered N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of the Heavy Alkali Metals"

Cite this