Dominic Auerhammer, Merle Arrowsmith, Philipp Bissinger, Holger Braunschweig, Theresa Dellermann, Thomas Kupfer, Carsten Lenczyk, Dipak Roy, Marius Schäfer, Christoph Schneider

• A series of NHC-supported 1,2-dithienyldiborenes was synthesized from the corresponding (dihalo)thienylborane NHC precursors. NMR and UV-vis spectroscopic data, as well as X-ray crystallographic analyses, were used to assess the electronic and steric influences on the B=B double bond of various NHCs and electron-donating substituents on the thienyl ligands. Crystallographic data showed that the degree of coplanarity of the diborene core and thienyl groups is highly dependent on the sterics of the substituents. Furthermore, any increase in theA series of NHC-supported 1,2-dithienyldiborenes was synthesized from the corresponding (dihalo)thienylborane NHC precursors. NMR and UV-vis spectroscopic data, as well as X-ray crystallographic analyses, were used to assess the electronic and steric influences on the B=B double bond of various NHCs and electron-donating substituents on the thienyl ligands. Crystallographic data showed that the degree of coplanarity of the diborene core and thienyl groups is highly dependent on the sterics of the substituents. Furthermore, any increase in the electron- donating ability of the substituents resulted in the destabilization of the HOMO and greater instability of the resulting diborenes.…