Isolation of a carbene-stabilized phosphorus mononitride and its radical cation (PN^+.)

Carbenes can do better than metals: Phosphorus mononitride transition-metal complexes have never been isolated, but a PN fragment capped by two bulky, strongly electron-releasing singlet carbenes can be prepared at room temperature (see picture; P red, N blue, C gray). The one-electron oxidation produced the corresponding stable radical cation. (Figure Presented)