Coordinatively unsaturated Pt(II) complex [Pt(I(t)Bu')(I(t)Bu)](+) stabilized by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands dehydrogenates N,N-dimethylamineborane through a mechanism that involves hydride abstraction, assisted by an amine, to yield a platinum-hydride complex [PtH(I(t)Bu')(I(t)Bu)] with concomitant formation of the boronium cation [(NHMe2)2BH2](+). This latter species is very likely in equilibrium with the THF stabilized borenium cation [(NHMe2)(THF)BH2](+), bearing an acidic NH group that is able to protonate the platinum hydride [PtH(I(t)Bu')(I(t)Bu)] releasing H2, the amino borane H2B-NMe2 and regenerating the catalytic [Pt](+) species.

The platinum complex [Pt(I(t)Bu')(I(t)Bu)][BAr(F)] is a very efficient catalyst in the synthesis of diaminoboranes through dehydrocoupling of amine-boranes and amines. Shimoi-type, η(1)-BH complexes are key intermediates in the process.

Pyridinium 2-carboxylates decompose thermally in the presence of a variety of late transition metal precursors to yield the corresponding 2-pyridylidene-like complexes. The mild reaction conditions and structural diversity that can be generated in the heterocyclic ring make this method an attractive alternative for the synthesis of 2-pyridylidene complexes. IR spectra of the Ir(I) carbonyl compounds [IrCl(NHC)(CO) 2 ] indicate that these N-heterocyclic carbene ligands are among the strongest r-electron donors.The importance of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) as ligands for transition metal complexes and catalysis is nowadays well established.