Chiral anion-based NMR enantiodiscrimination of a dinuclear, cationic Ir(i) NHC complex with a figure-of-eight loop structureElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: X-Ray crystallographic data in CIF format for 2. CCDC reference number: 841411. See DOI: 10.1039/c1dt11604e

A dinuclear Ir( i ) complex with a bis-NHC ligand was formed in situ from 1,1-((4,6-dimethyl-1,3-phenylene)bis(methylene))bis(3-methyl-1 H -imidazol-3-ium) in the presence of Cs 2 CO 3 and [Ir(-Cl)(cod)] 2 . Its solid-state structure, determined by X-ray diffraction, shows a figure-of-eight loop with both the P and M enantiomers being present. Solution NMR studies were performed to examine the enantiodiscrimination between them by applying the enantiopure anions tris(tetrachlorobenzenediolato)phosphate( v ) ( -TRISPHAT) and bis(tetrachlorobenzenediolato)mono([1,10]binaphthalenyl-2,20-diolato)phosphate( v ) ( -BINPHAT). Chiral anions allow stereodifferentiation in solution between the enantiomers of [Ir(cod)(-NHC)] 2 (PF 6 ) 2 , with a figure-of-eight loop structure in the solid state.