Cationic Copper(I) Carbene Complexes: Synthesis and Structures of a Tricoordinate Copper(I) Carbene Water Complex and a Dicoordinate Carbene Complex

A series of tricoordinate cationic copper­(I) carbene complexes of the type [Cu­{CR1(OR2)}­(MeCN)­(L)]­[PF6] (R1 = (E)-CHCH-2-furyl, R2 = (1R,2S,5R)-menthyl), L = MeCN, THF, SMe2, H2O) were prepared from the carbene complex [Cu­{=CR1(OR2)}­(MeCN)­(Et2O)]­[PF6] through a ligand-exchange reaction with the appropriate ligand (L). The synthesis of the cationic dicoordinate copper­(I) carbene complex [Cu­{CR1(OR2)}­(MeCN)]­[PF6] is also reported. The solid-state structures of the tricoordinate complex bearing water as ligand and of the dicoordinate complex are discussed.