N-Heterocyclic Silylene-Copper(I)-Aryl Complex: Multitasking Cu(I) Synthon

In this work, we have prepared [PhC{N(tBu)}2SiN(SiMe3)2] (1) coordinated organocopper(I) complexes (2 and 3) and utilized them as a useful synthon for the aryl group transfer and cleavage of a variety of homolytic and heterolytic bonds. Complex 2 was used as a mesityl transfer reagent in the C–C cross-coupling reaction that led to the formation of the coupled products in excellent yields. Further, we have demonstrated the reaction of 2 with compounds having B–B and Se–Se bonds, which led to the formation of dimeric µ-boryl bound Cu(I) complex (6) and a new class of unprecedented NHSi-supported copper-selenides (8 and 9). Finally, this new synthetic methodology smoothly afforded several elusive NHSi-copper amide complexes (10-14).