Functionalised Saturated‐Backbone Carbene Ligands: Yttrium and Uranyl Alkoxy–Carbene Complexes and Bicyclic Carbene–Alcohol Adducts

Abstract

A new and modular route to bidentate ligands that combines an alkoxide with a saturated backbone N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) is presented. The bi(heterocyclic) compounds are formally the addition product of a saturated NHC and the alcohol group of the N‐functionalised arm. Using these compounds, the synthesis and structural characterisation of the first electropositive metal complexes of saturated N‐heterocyclic carbenes has been achieved, and examples structurally characterised for the yttrium(III) and the uranyl [UO₂]²⁺ cations.