A series of Mo(0) and W(0) carbonyl N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes containing monodentate NHC ligands with the formulae of M(CO) 4(NHC) 2 (NHC = IBz = 1,3-dibenzylimidazol-2-ylidene, M = Mo (1a), W (2a); NHC = (IPr)-Pr-n = 1,3-dipropylimidazol-2-ylidene, M = Mo (3), W (4a)) and M(CO)(5)(NHC) (NHC = IBz, M = Mo (1b), W(2b); NHC = InPr, M = W (4b); NHC = IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) imidazol-2-ylidene, M = Mo (5), W (6)) and the complexes containing chelating NHC ligands Mo(CO)(4)(PyNHC) (PyNHC = 3-methyl-1-picolylimidazol-2-ylidene (7)) and Mo(CO)(3)(Py2NHC) (Py2NHC = 1,3-dipicolylimidazol-2-ylidene (8)) have been synthesized and fully characterized. They show moderate catalytic activities towards cyclooctene epoxidation in the presence of tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP). The stability of Mo-C-NHC bond under oxidative condition has been investigated. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.