An N‐Heterocyclic Carbene/Iridium Hydride Complex from the Oxidative Addition of a Ferrocenyl–Bisimidazolium Salt: Implications for Synthesis

A ferrocenyl–imidazolium salt can be employed as a precursor to a stable [IrIII(H)(biscarbene)] complex (see X-ray crystal structure) under very mild conditions. The study shows that the role of the base in the activation of the imidazolium salt may not just be a simple deprotonation of the precursor.