A diamine-bridged bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligand was synthesized as imidazolium salts with chloride or triflate counteranions. Deprotonation of the chloride salt by an iron bis-amide complex or addition of the free diamine-bis-carbene ligand to FeCl led to the formation of an Fe(II) dichloride complex having a diamine-bis-carbene ligand, in which the iron atom is in a highly distorted octahedral geometry with weak Fe-N interactions. This iron complex was found to catalyze the hydrosilylation of acetophenone. © 2012 American Chemical Society. 2