Stepwise and one-pot syntheses of Ir(III) complexes with imidazolium-based carbene ligands

We report the preparation, crystal structure, electrochemistry, and emission properties of Ir(Cinsertion markC:)3, where Cinsertion markC: is an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand. Two synthetic approaches are introduced for generating Ir(III) complexes bearing imidazolium-based carbene ligands whose precursors are pypiH2]Cl] (1a) (pyridyl1,2-a]{2-phenylimidazol}-3-ylidene chloride) and pympiH2]Cl] (1b) (pyridyl1,2-a-{2-(p-methoxy)phenylimidazol}-3-ylidene chloride). The first method is a stepwise reaction: treatment of Ir(mu-Cl)(COD)]2, where COD is 1,5-cyclooctadiene, with 4 equiv. of the corresponding carbene (Cinsertion markC:) ligands in the presence of an excess amount of sodium methoxide affords Ir(III) dimers Ir(mu-Cl)(Cinsertion markC:)2]2 (2a, Cinsertion markC: = pypi(-); 2b, Cinsertion markC: = pympi(-)). These chloro-bridged dimers 2a and 2b react with the corresponding carbene (Cinsertion markC:) ligands to form the desired homoleptic compounds Ir(Cinsertion markC:)3 (3a, Cinsertion markC: = pypi(-); 3b, Cinsertion markC: = pympi(-)). The second method, using a one-pot reaction of Ir(mu-Cl)(COD)]2 with 6 equiv. of the corresponding carbene (Cinsertion markC:) ligands 1a and 1b in the presence of excess amounts of Ag2O, affords Ir(Cinsertion markC:)3. The two methods are convenient and reproducible procedures for the synthesis of Ir(Cinsertion markC:)3. Complexes 3a and 3b are obtained as mixtures of meridional and facial isomers, which can be separated by recrystallization or flash column chromatography.