Synthesis of New Iridium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes and Facile Intramolecular Alkyl C−H Bond Activation Reactions of the Carbene Ligand

The new iridium N-heterocyclic carbene complexes Cp N Ir(I i -PrMe)I 2 and CpIr(I i -PrMe)I 2 (Cp N = (2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)cyclopentadienyl; I i -PrMe = 1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene) have been synthesized along with Ir(cod)(I i -PrMe)Cl, Cp N Ir(I i -PrMe)(η 2 -cod), and CpIr(I i -PrMe)(η 2 -cod). Facile intramolecular alkyl C−H bond activation reactions of Cp*Ir(I i -PrMe)Cl 2 (Cp* = η 5 -pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) and Cp N Ir(I i -PrMe)I 2 have occurred by treatment with MeONa and AgOTf, respectively.