Theoretical Study of N-Heterocyclic-Carbene–ZnX(2) (X = H, Me, Et) Complexes

This article discusses the properties of as many as 30 carbene–ZnX [Formula: see text] (X = H, Me, Et) complexes featuring a zinc bond C⋯Zn. The group of carbenes is represented by imidazol-2-ylidene and its nine derivatives (labeled as IR), in which both hydrogen atoms of N-H bonds have been substituted by R groups with various spatial hindrances, from the smallest Me, [Formula: see text] Pr, [Formula: see text] Bu through Ph, Tol, and Xyl to the bulkiest Mes, Dipp, and Ad. The main goal is to study the relationship between type and size of R and X and both the strength of C⋯Zn and the torsional angle of the ZnX [Formula: see text] plane with respect to the plane of the imidazol-2-ylidene ring. Despite the considerable diversity of R and X, the range of [Formula: see text] is quite narrow: 2.12–2.20 Å. On the contrary, [Formula: see text] is characterized by a fairly wide range of 18.5–27.4 kcal/mol. For the smallest carbenes, the ZnX [Formula: see text] molecule is either in the plane of the carbene or is only slightly twisted with respect to it. The twist angle becomes larger and more varied with the bulkier R. However, the value of this angle is not easy to predict because it results not only from the presence of steric effects but also from the possible presence of various interatomic interactions, such as dihydrogen bonds, tetrel bonds, agostic bonds, and hydrogen bonds. It has been shown that at least some of these interactions may have a non-negligible influence on the structure of the IR–ZnX2 complex. This fact should be taken into account in addition to the commonly discussed R⋯X steric repulsion.