N-Heterocyclic carbenes: Advances in transition metal and organic catalysis

The use of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) in organic and transition metal chemistry is reviewed. This report presents the developments that have occurred in the last 12 months, describing the use of carbenes as ligands in transition metal chemistry and the catalytic uses of such transition metal complexes. Furthermore, NHCs can act as catalysts in their own right, and recent developments in this growing area of catalysis are described.