Abnormal carbene–silicon halide complexes.

Reaction of the anionic N-heterocyclic dicarbene (NHDC), [:C{[N(2,6-Prⁱ₂C₆H₃)]₂CHCLi}]_n (1), with SiCl₄ gives the trichlorosilyl-substituted (at the C4 carbon) N-heterocyclic carbene complex (7). Abnormal carbene–SiCl₄ complex (8) may be conveniently synthesized by combining 7 with HCl·NEt₃. In addition, 7 may react with CH₂Cl₂ in warm hexane, giving the abnormal carbene-complexed SiCl₃⁺ cation (9). The nature of the bonding in 9 was probed with complementary DFT computations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]