Patent ID: 7750149

Claim:
A N-heterocyclic carbene of formula I: or a salt or metal complex thereof; wherein ring A and ring B are independently selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted phenyl, naphthalenyl, and 9,10-dihydrophenanthrenyl; wherein when ring A or ring B is substituted, substituents are selected from the group consisting of halogen; linear or branched C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, alkenyl, or alkynyl; C 5 -C 12 -cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, or cycloalkynyl; mono- or polycyclic aryl, and mono- or polycyclic heteroaryl having up to 5 heteroatoms selected from N, O, S, and P; wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and the carbon to which they are attached, and R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , and the carbon to which they are attached, are adamantyl; and salts thereof; and metal complexes thereof.