Coordination polymers of silver(I) with bis(N-heterocyclic carbene): Structural characterization and carbene transfer

Reactions of the ethylene- and methylene-bridged bis(imidazolium) salts with an equivalent amount of silver oxide in dichloromethane at room temperature produced readily the silver NHC compounds Ag₂LBr₂]. These compounds are partially soluble in DMF. The X-ray structure determination on 3d (L = 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-ethylenediimidazolin-2,2′-diylidene) reveals the formation of bromide bibridged (Ag₂LBr₂)_n chains and a unique supramolecular motif with weak Ag?Ag interactions of 3.429 Å. Similar to monomeric silver(I) NHC complexes, the silver coordination polymers can also act as carbene transfer reagents for the formation of chelating palladium NHC complexes in excellent yields.