| Summary: | Mercury(II) complexes (Me-maloNHC<sub>Dipp</sub>)HgCl (<b>1b</b>), (<i>t</i>-Bu-maloNHC<sub>Dipp</sub>)HgCl (<b>2b</b>) and (<i>t</i>-Bu-maloNHC<sub>Dipp</sub>)HgMe (<b>2c</b>) supported by anionic <i>N</i>-heterocyclic carbenes have been obtained in good yields from the reaction of the potassium salt of <i>N</i>-heterocyclic carbene ligand precursors and mercury(II) salts, HgCl<sub>2</sub> and MeHgI. These molecules have been characterized by <sup>1</sup>H-NMR, <sup>13</sup>C-NMR and IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. X-ray crystal structures of <b>1b</b> and <b>2b</b> are also presented. Interestingly, complex <b>1b</b> is polymeric {(Me-maloNHC<sub>Dipp</sub>)HgCl}<sub>n</sub> in the solid state, as a result of inter-molecular Hg-O contacts, and features rare three coordinate mercury sites with a T-shaped arrangement, whereas the (<i>t</i>-Bu-maloNHC<sub>Dipp</sub>)HgCl (<b>2b</b>) is monomeric and has a linear, two-coordinate mercury center. The formation of T-shaped structure and the aggregation of complex <b>1b</b> is attributable to the reduced steric demand of the <i>N</i>-heterocyclic carbene ligand backbone substituent.
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