title: Activation of water, ammonia, and other small molecules by PC(carbene)P nickel pincer complexes.
abstract: Nickel complexes of a PC(carbene)P pincer ligand framework are described. Dehydrobromination of the precursor (PC(sp)(3)P)NiBr in the presence of a donor (PPh3 or NC(t)Bu) leads to the title complexes, which feature a rare nickel-carbene linkage as the pincer ligand anchor point. This strongly donating, nucleophilic carbene center engages in a variety of E-H bond activations (E = H, C, N, O), some of which are reversible. This represents a new mode of bond activation by ligand cooperativity in nickel pincer complexes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4.
authors.forename: Dmitry V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Gutsulyak
authors.forename: Warren E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Piers
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borau-Garcia
authors.forename: Masood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parvez