NHC Ligated Group 11 Metal-Arylthiolates Containing an Azide Functionality Amenable to “Click” Reaction Chemistry

The reaction of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) Group 11 metal complexes, [(NHC)M–X] (X = chloride, acetate), with the new azide-modified arylthiol 1-HSCH2-2,5-Me2-4-N3CH2-C6H2, 1 (for M = Au; X = Cl), or 1-Me3SiSCH2-2,5-Me2-4-N3CH2-C6H2, 2 (for M = Cu, X = Cl; M = Ag, X = OAc), affords the “clickable” NHC-metal thiolates [(iPr2-bimy)Au-(1-SCH2-2,5-Me2-4-N3CH2-C6H2)], 5; [(IPr)Au-(1-SCH2-2,5-Me2-4-N3CH2-C6H2)], 6; [(IPr)Ag-(1-SCH2-2,5-Me2-4-N3CH2-C6H2)], 7; and [(IPr)Cu-(1-SCH2-2,5-Me2-4-N3CH2-C6H2)], 8 (iPr2-bimy = 1,3-di-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-ylidene, IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). Single-crystal X-ray analysis of all metal complexes show that they are two-coordinate, nearly linear, with a terminally bonded thiolate ligand possessing an accessible azide (−N3) moiety. The strain-promoted alkyne–azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) reaction of complex 6 with bicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-yn-9-ylmethanol (BCN–OH) and dibenzocyclooctyne-amine (DBCO–NH2) illustrated the reactivity of the azide moiety...