Equilibrium molecular structure of cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene copper(i) carbazolide with intramolecular agostic and anagostic C–H⋯Cu interactions from gas-phase electron diffraction

Abstract

The first gas-phase electron diffraction structure of a “carbene–metal–amide” (CMA) complex has been characterised. Strong agostic and weak anagostic C–H⋯Cu intramolecular interactions have been revealed and correlated with significant bending of the geometry around the copper atom, corroborated by photoluminescence in the gas phase.