Well-defined robust ruthenium(II) complexes 3a-d bearing o-aryloxide-N-heterocyclic carbene ligands with different wingtip substituents (3a (R= Me), 3b (R= Ph), 3c (R= Pr-i) and 3d (R= Mes)) in the imidazole ring were synthesized in good yields by the reaction of imidazolium proligands with metal precursor [RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)(3)] by transmetallation from the corresponding silver carbene complexes. All the Ru(II)-NHC complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, spectroscopic methods as well as ESI mass spectrometry. The molecular structure of the complex 3a was identified by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, which revealed that the complexes possess a distorted octahedral geometry. In order to explore the catalytic potential of the synthesized complexes, all the four [Ru-NHC] complexes [3a-d] were tested as catalysts for transamidation of carboxamides with amines. Notably, the complex 3a was found to be very efficient and versatile catalyst toward transamidation of a wide range of amides with amines. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.