Post-coordination backbone functionalization of an imidazol-2-ylidene and its application to synthesize heteropolymetallic complexes incorporating the ambidentate IMes(CO2(-)) ligand.

Backbone functionalization of the pre-coordinated, emblematic IMes ligand with the COOH moiety was achieved upon treatment of Cp(CO)2Mn(IMes) with n-BuLi followed by CO2 and HCl to afford Cp(CO)2Mn(IMes(COOH)). The latter reacts with (1,10-phen)M(OAc)2 (M = Cu, Zn) to obtain M3Mn4 polymetallic complexes exhibiting the ambidentate IMes(CO2(-)) moiety as a key structural unit.