LAUSR

Lewis-acid/base adducts of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) and the cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene cAACMe (1-(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl)-3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidin-2-ylidene) with selected lead(II) and lead(IV) compounds are presented. The reaction of the NHCs Me2ImMe (1,3,4,5-tetramethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene), iPr2ImMe (1,3-di-isopropyl-4,5-dimethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene), Dipp2Im (1,3-bis-(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene) and cAACMe (1-(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl)-3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-pyrrolidin-2-ylidene) with PbI2 yielded the NHC-containing plumbylenes NHC·PbI2 (NHC = Me2ImMe (1), iPr2ImMe (2), Dipp2Im (3) and cAACMe·PbI2 (4)). Using the Pb(IV) compound PbCl2Ph2, the plumbane adducts NHC·PbCl2Ph2 (NHC = Me2ImMe (5), iPr2ImMe (6), Dipp2Im (7)) and cAACMe·PbCl2Ph2 (8)) were isolated in high yields. Reduction of the lead(IV) adducts 5 and 6 with excess KC8 afforded the diaryl substituted plumbylenes Me2ImMe·PbPh2 (9) and iPr2ImMe·PbPh2 (10), which are stable in the solid state but decompose in solution.