Facile Synthesis of Triptycene-Azolium Salts and NHC-Metal Complexes

The cycloaddition reactions of eleven substituted anthracenes with nosylated quinone imines provides a convenient route to the respective triptycenes. Following re-aromatization, selective O-butylation and cleavage of the nosyl-group the respective triptycene anilines are obtained, which are converted into the respective imidazolium salts according to established procedures. Deprotonation of the imidazolium salts provide new triptycene-NHC-metal complexes (M=AuCl, RhCl(cod), IrCl(cod), RhCl(CO)(2), IrCl(CO)(2), PdI2(py), PtCl2(py), Pd(allyl)Cl) with unusual ligand sterics.