Recent advances on N-heterocyclic carbene transition metal complexes for dehydrogenative catalysis using alcohols

• NHC- TM complexes with different NHC ligands for dehydrogenative catalysis using alcohols are reviewed. • NHC- TM development based on TM centers including Ir, Ru, and Os, as well as non-noble metals like Cu, Mo, and Mn, are described. • Dehydrogenative catalytic reactions include acceptorless alcohols dehydrogenation, and dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols for C O bond, C C bond, C N, or C N bond formation are summarized. • The challenges and perspectives for NH-TM complexes promoted dehydrogenative catalysis are discussed. N -heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are green and versatile ligands for the development of transition metal (TM) catalysts. Presented is a brief overview of recent advances on NHC-TM complexes for dehydrogenative catalysis using alcohols. Various NHC-TM complexes, mostly based on noble metals Ir, Ru, and Os, as well as some non-noble metals like Cu, Mo, and Mn, are described. These NHC-TM complexes have been applied to acceptorless alcohol dehydrogenation (AAD) to aldehydes or ketones, and dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols for C O bond, C C bond, C N or C N bond formation. In comparison, the NHC-based Ru and Ir systems are relatively widely studied, the development of NHC-based non-noble metals catalysts is still in its infant for sustainable dehydrogenative catalysis using alcohols.