Terminal Cobalt(III) Imido Complexes Supported by Tris(Carbene) Ligands: Imido Insertion into the Cobalt−Carbene Bond

Highly reactive tris-carbene Co(I) complexes [(TIMENaryl)Co]Cl react with organic azides to yield monomeric Co(III) imido complexes [(TIMENaryl)Co(NAr‘)](BPh4) (aryl = mes, xyl; Ar = −C6H4−CH3, −C6H4−OCH3). The cobalt−imido fragment in these complexes is electrophilic and, as a result, the imido group readily inserts into the cobalt−carbene bond, yielding bis-carbene imine cobalt complexes.