Vesicle Formation of Three-dimensional Trinuclear Silver(I) Complexes Built from Tris-NHC Ligands Bearing Long Alkyl Chains

The reaction of 1,3,5-triphenyladamantane-bridged trisbenzimidazolium or trisimidazolium salts bearing long alkyl chains with silver oxide affords trinuclear silver(I) hexacarbene complexes with a three-dimensional organometallic framework in moderate yield, where two tricarbene ligands are linked with three metal centers. The complex self-assembles into hollow spherical aggregates in a polar organic solution.