Facile Synthesis of Triptycene‐Azolium Salts and NHC‐Metal Complexes

The cycloaddition reactions of eleven substituted anthracenes with nosylated quinone imines provides a convenient route to the respective triptycenes. Following re‐aromatization, selective O‐butylation and cleavage of the nosyl‐group the respective triptycene anilines are obtained, which are converted into the respective imidazolium salts according to established procedures. Deprotonation of the imidazolium salts provide new triptycene‐NHC‐metal complexes (M=AuCl, RhCl(cod), IrCl(cod), RhCl(CO)₂, IrCl(CO)₂, PdI₂(py), PtCl₂(py), Pd(allyl)Cl) with unusual ligand sterics