A highly stable N-heterocyclic carbene complex of trichloro-oxo-vanadium(V) displaying novel Cl-C_carbene bonding interactions

Reaction of 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene and trichloro-oxo-vanadium(V) yields an air stable 1:1 adduct, which demonstrates the utility of N-heterocyclic carbenes to stabilize metal complexes in high oxidation states. The molecular structure of this compound reveals that the chloride ligands cis to the carbene are oriented toward the C_carbene atom. Density functional theory calculations show that a bonding interaction occurs between lone pairs of these chlorides and the formally unoccupied p-orbital of the carbene. Previous studies indicated that this orbital was not involved in the bonding of N-heterocyclic carbenes to transition metals. The observed interaction therefore represents a new bonding mode for these widely used ligands.