Carbene Complexes of Chromium Bearing Nitrogen Substituents

The development of Fischer Amnocarbene complex chemistry, which has accelerated considerably in the last five years, is reviewed. Aminocarbene complexes allow formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds, often in ways inaccessible to their alkoxy analogues, leading to heterocyles containing aminoarenes, indoles, pyrroles, or ß and other lactams, among other structural types. 1. Introduction 2.1. Synthesis of Aminocarbene Complexes 2.2. Applications of Aminocarbene Complexes 2.2.1. Reactions with Alkynes Leading to Indane Derivatives 2.2.2. Annulations Leading to Indoles and Carbazoles 2.2.3. Non-Annulative Reactions with Alkynes 2.2.4. Photochemical Reactions with lmines and Nucleophiles 2.2.5. Use of the (CO)⁵M=C Moiety as a Carbonyl (O=C) Equivalent 2.3. Synthesis of Amidocarbene Complexes and Related Compounds 2.4. Applications of Amidocarbene Complexes 3. Conclusions