We previously reported the C-H bond cleavage of Me3SiCHN2 by 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene (5-SIPr) to form 1. In this article, we showed that electron-poor diamido carbene 5-tBuDAC also cleaves the C-H bond of Me3SiCHN2 to form 5, unlike its ring-expanded congener 6-DippDAC, which forms N-heterocyclic methylene hydrazine. The divergence of reactivity has been explained with the help of DFT studies. Further divergence occurs when 1 and 5 were reacted with HCl. While dimerization was observed with 5-SIPr based diazoalkane to give quinoidal tetrazine (2), N2 elimination occurs from 5-tBuDAC based diazoalkane to afford 7 and 8. This contrasting behavior highlights the subtle yet profound influence of the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) framework on the fate of the diazo units. DFT studies shed light about the mechanism for the formation of 2 as well as reveal that N2 elimination is thermodynamically favored over dimerization for 5.

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