An Electron‐Rich Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene on Au(111), Ag(111), and Cu(111) Surfaces
Anne Bakker, Matthias Freitag, Elena Kolodzeiski, Peter Bellotti, Alexander Timmer, Jindong Ren, Bertram Schulze Lammers, Daniel Moock, Herbert W. Roesky, Harry Mönig, Saeed Amirjalayer, Harald Fuchs, Frank Glorius
Abstract
The structural properties and binding motif of a strongly σ-electron-donating N-heterocyclic carbene have been investigated on different transition-metal surfaces. The examined cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) was found to be mobile on surfaces, and molecular islands with short-range order could be found at high coverage. A combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations highlights how CAACs bind to the surface, which is of tremendous importance to gain an understanding of heterogeneous catalysts bearing CAACs as ligands.