Silver(I) and copper(I) complexes with bis-NHC ligands: Dinuclear complexes, cubanes and coordination polymers

•Synthesis of NHC-supported Cu(I) and Ag(I) coordination polymers.•Synthesis of NH-supported Ag(I) cubanes.•Conversion of cubane-type Ag(I) complexes into dinuclear complexes.•Key role of the counterions on the products solid-state structures.•Neutral cubane-, neutral coordination polymer-, or dicationic bridged-type architectures.

Silver(I) and copper(I) complexes containing neutral bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) (NHC) ligands and coordinated or non-coordinated chloride, bromide, iodide, or tetrafluoroborate anions, were synthesised. The nature of the anions impacts deeply the structural features of the complexes in the solid-state and neutral cubane-, neutral coordination polymer-, or dicationic bridged-type architectures have been characterised. The structures of (1,3-bis(3′-butylimidazol-2′-ylidene)benzene)disilver(I) dichloride (2a), bis(μ-1,3-bis(3′-butylimidazol-2′-ylidene)benzene-κ-C)tetra-μ3-bromotetrasilver(I) (2b), bis(1,3-bis(3′-butylimidazol-2′-ylidene)benzene)disilver(I) tetrafluoroborate (2d) in 2d·CH2Cl2, (1,3-bis(3′-butylimidazol-2′-ylidene)benzene)dicopper(I) dichloride (3a) and (1,3-bis(3′-butylimidazol-2′-ylidene)benzene)dicopper(I) dibromide (3b) were established by X-ray diffraction.

Graphical abstractThe nature of the coordinated or non-coordinated chloride, bromide, iodide, or tetrafluoroborate anions in Ag(I) and Cu(I) complexes containing neutral bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) (NHC) ligands, is found to deeply impact the solid-state structure of the complexes and neutral cubane-, neutral coordination polymer-, or dicationic bridged-type architectures have been characterised.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide