Reaction of the <i>N</i>‐heterocyclic carbene, 1,3‐dimesityl‐ imidazol‐2‐ylidene, with a uranyl triflate complex, UO₂(OTf)₂(thf)₃

Abstract

Abstract The N‐heterocyclic carbene, 1,3‐dimesityl‐imidazol‐2‐ylidene (IMes) reacts with tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the presence of an oxidizing uranyl triflate complex, UO 2 (OTf) 2 (thf) 3 ( − OTf = − OSO 2 CF 3 ), to give 1,4‐bis(1,3‐dimesityl‐2‐imidazolium)‐1,3‐butadiene bis(trifluoromethanesulfonate), formally understood as the coupling product of two equivalents of IMes with [CHCHCHCH](OTf) 2 . Copyright © 2005 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.