title: Dehydrogenative coupling of aromatic thiols with Et3SiH catalysed by N-heterocyclic carbene nickel complexes.
abstract: A series of new tetramethylcyclopentadienyl-functionalised N-heterocyclic carbene ligands with different wingtip substituents have been prepared and characterised. These ligands have been successfully coordinated to nickel affording complexes of the general type (Cp*-NHC(R))NiX (X = Cl, I). These well-defined nickel complexes selectively catalysed the coupling of aromatic thiols with Et3SiH to give the corresponding silylthioethers (RSSiEt3). The nickel complexes bearing ethyl, iso-butyl, and n-butyl wingtips displayed comparable catalytic efficiency, while the nickel complex bearing a methyl substituent on the wingtip was the worst performing catalyst.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Tecnología Química e Biológica da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, EAN, 2780-417 Oeiras, Portugal. broyo@itqb.unl.pt.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Postigo
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Royo