The success of homogeneous catalysis can be attributed largely to the development of a
diverse range of ligand frameworks that have been used to tune the behavior of various …

Although N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have been known as ligands for organometallic
complexes since the 1960s, these carbenes did not attract considerable attention until …

This perspective summarizes recent results, which demonstrate that stable carbenes can
activate small molecules (CO, H2, NH3 and P4) and stabilize highly reactive intermediates …

Amines and boranes are the archetypical Lewis bases and acids, respectively. The former
can readily undergo one-electron oxidation to give radical cations, whereas the latter are …

This tutorial explores the diversity and characteristics of C-donor ligands. Particular
emphasis is put on the conceptual design of the electronic properties for applications in …

This personal account summarizes our work, beginning with the discovery of the first stable
carbene in 1988 up until the recent isolation of mesoionic carbenes. It explains why we have …

The discovery two decades ago of metal-free stable carbenes, especially imidazol-2-
ylidenes [N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs)], has led to numerous breakthroughs in organic …

The progress in experimental and theoretical research in the area of main group compounds
that possess dative bonds, which was made in the last decade, is summarized. The focus …

Recent theoretical studies are reviewed which show that the naked group 14 atoms E= C–
Pb in the singlet 1D state behave as bidentate Lewis acids that strongly bind two σ donor …

Carbenes, including N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands, are used extensively to
stabilize open‐shell transition metal complexes and organic radicals. Yet, it remains …