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The two-coordinate ring-expanded N-heterocyclic carbene copper(I) complexes [Cu(RE-NHC)2]+ (RE-NHC = 6-Mes, 7-o-Tol, 7-Mes) have been prepared and shown to be effective catalysts under neat conditions for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkynes and azides. In contrast, the cationic diamidocarbene analogue [Cu(6-MesDAC)2]+ and the neutral species [(6-MesDAC)CuCl]2 and [(6-MesDAC)2(CuCl)3] show good activity when the catalysis is performed on water.

A metal templated synthetic approach gives access to [Cp*Fe(CO)(2){B(NMesCMe)(2)CH}][BAr4f], and represents the first example of coordinative trapping of the elusive [B(NRCMe)(2)CH] fragment.