Ring-opening and double-metallation reactions of the N-Heterocyclic carbene ligand in Cp∗(IXy)Ru (IXy = 1,3-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) complexes. Access to an anionic fischer-type carbene complex of ruthenium

An anionic ruthenium Fischer-type carbene complex (4) was isolated by treatment of a masked silylene complex Cp∗(IXy-H)(H)RuSiH2Mes (1) with LiCH2SiMe3via an N-heterocyclic carbene ring-opening reaction. Characterization and reactivity studies of 4 are presented here.