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Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
NHC-Stabilized Early Main Group Species: Reactivity and Emerging Catalysis
Stuart Burnett1, Scott Miller1, Fáinché Murphy1
1Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL, U.K.
Abstract:
N-Heterocyclic carbenes are commonplace in modern-day homogeneous catalysis due to their easily tunable steric and electronic features. Within the main group elements, NHCs have enabled the isolation of a range of complexes in unusual coordination environments and/or low oxidation states. With significant research efforts developing the transition-metal-like behavior of main group elements, emerging trends are now starting to showcase the potential of NHCs in enabling catalytic application of main group elements. This perspective highlights the potential of NHCs to transform main group catalysis, including a focus on relatively underexplored tethered and bis-NHC complexes for early main group elements.
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