Abstract
A general synthetic route was used to prepare 15 new N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-Ag-I complexes bearing anionic carboxylate ligands [Ag(NHC)(O2CR)], including a homologous series of complexes of sterically flexible ITent ligands, which permit a systematic spectroscopic and theoretical study of the structural and electronic features of these compounds. The complexes displayed a significant ligand-accelerated effect in the intramolecular cyclisation of propargylic amides to oxazolidines. The substrate scope is highly complementary to that previously achieved by NHC-Au and pyridyl-Ag-I complexes.