Silver(I)−Carbene Complexes/Ionic Liquids:  Novel <i>N</i>-Heterocyclic Carbene Delivery Agents for Organocatalytic Transformations Alan C. Sentman Szilárd Csihony Robert M. Waymouth James L. Hedrick 10.1021/jo048555q.s001 https://acs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Silver_I_Carbene_Complexes_Ionic_Liquids_Novel_i_N_i_Heterocyclic_Carbene_Delivery_Agents_for_Organocatalytic_Transformations/3295831 <i>N</i>-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with silver were investigated as sources of unsaturated NHC carbene catalysts via thermal decomposition. The NHC complex (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazol-2-ylidene)silver(I) chloride is an ionic liquid, and was found to catalyze the ring-opening polymerization of lactide at elevated temperatures to give narrowly dispersed polylactide of predictable molecular weight. Silver−carbene complexes can also be used for the catalysis of small molecule transesterification reactions. Thermolysis of the silver complexes in the presence of CS<sub>2</sub> yielded the zwitterionic CS<sub>2</sub> adducts of the carbene, implicating the intermediacy of the free carbene in these reactions. 2005-03-18 00:00:00 Organocatalytic Transformations N silver complexes zwitterionic CS 2 adducts NHC carbene catalysts Heterocyclic Carbene Delivery Agents Heterocyclic carbene CS 2 molecule transesterification reactions