Addition of N-heterocyclic carbenes to a ruthenium(VI) nitrido polyoxometalate: A new route to cyclic guanidines

The scope of N-atom transfer from the electrophilic ruthenium(VI) nitrido containing polyoxometalate [PW₁₁O₃₉Ru^VIN] ^4- has been extended to the N-heterocyclic carbene {CH ₂(Mes)N}₂C and the coupling product {CH ₂(Mes)N}₂CNH₂⁺ characterized by ¹H NMR and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Because guanidines display many fields of applications ranging from biology to supramolecular chemistry, this could afford an original route to the synthesis of cyclic guanidines. This also enlarges the potential of nitrido complexes in the synthesis of heterocycles, mainly illustrated in the literature through the formation of aziridines through N-atom transfer to alkenes. In the course of the reaction, the ruthenium(III)-containing polyoxometallic intermediate [PW ₁₁O₃₉Ru^III{NC{N(Mes)CH₂} ₂}]^5- has been thoroughly characterized by continuous-wave and pulsed electron paramagnetic resonance, which nicely confirms the presence of the organic moiety on the polyoxometallic framework, Ru K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure, and electrochemistry.