Weakly coordinating nature of a carborane cage bearing different halogen atoms. Synthesis and structural characterization of icosahedral mixed halocarborane anions, 1-H-CB11Y5X6- (X, Y = Cl, Br, I)

Effect of Nature of Substituents on Coordination Properties of Mono- and Disubstituted Derivatives of Boron Cluster Anions [BnHn]2– (n = 10, 12) and Carboranes with exo-Polyhedral B–X Bonds (X = N, O, S, Hal)

This review systematizes data on the coordination ability of mono- and disubstituted derivatives of boron cluster anions and carboranes in complexation with transition metals. Boron clusters anions [BnHn]2–, monocarborane anions [CBnHn–1]–, and dicarboranes [C2BnHn–2] (with non-functionalized carbon atoms) (n = 10, 12) containing the B–X exo-polyhedral bonds (X = N, O, S, Hal) are discussed. Synthesis and structural features of complexes known to date are described. The effect of complexing metal and substituent attached to the boron cage on the composition and structures of the final complexes is analyzed. It has been established that substituted derivatives of boron cluster anions and carboranes can act as both ligands and counterions. A complexing agent can coordinate substituted derivatives of the boron cluster anions due to three-center two-electron 3c2e MHB bonds, by the substituent functional groups, or a mixed type of coordination can be realized, through the BH groups of the boron cage and the substituent. As for B-substituted carboranes, complexes with coordinated substituents or salts with non-coordinated carborane derivatives have been isolated; compounds with MHB bonding are not characteristic of carboranes.

Silylium Ions: From Elusive Reactive Intermediates to Potent Catalysts

The history of silyl cations has all the makings of a drama but with a happy ending. Being considered reactive intermediates impossible to isolate in the condensed phase for decades, their actual characterization in solution and later in solid state did only fuel the discussion about their existence and initially created a lot of controversy. This perception has completely changed today, and silyl cations and their donor-stabilized congeners are now widely accepted compounds with promising use in synthetic chemistry. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the fundamental facts and principles of the chemistry of silyl cations, including reliable ways of their preparation as well as their physical and chemical properties. The striking features of silyl cations are their enormous electrophilicity and as such reactivity as super Lewis acids as well as fluorophilicity. Known applications rely on silyl cations as reactants, stoichiometric reagents, and promoters where the reaction success is based on their steady regeneration over the course of the reaction. Silyl cations can even be discrete catalysts, thereby opening the next chapter of their way into the toolbox of synthetic methodology.

Silver(I) and Copper(I) Complexation with Decachloro-Closo-Decaborate Anion

A series of complexation reactions of silver(I) and copper(I) in the presence of a polyhedral weakly coordinating [B10Cl10]2− anion has been carried out. The effect of the solvent and the presence of Ph3P on the composition and structure of the reaction product were studied. Eight novel complexes were obtained and characterized by 11B Nuclear magnetic resonance, Infra-Red, and Raman spectroscopies as well as powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The [B10Cl10]2− anion demonstrated weaker coordinating ability towards coinage metals than [B10H10]2− at similar reaction conditions. The [B10Cl10]2− anion remains unreacted in the copper(I) complexation reaction, while in the absence of competing ligands, we obtained the first complexes containing decachloro-closo-decaborate anion directly coordinated by the metal atom. The bonding between metal atoms and the boron cluster anions was studied using the atomic Hirshfeld surfaces. Besides edge and face coordination of the polyhedral anion, this method allowed us to reveal the Ag–Ag bond in crystal of {Ag2(DMF)2[B10Cl10]}n, the presence of which was additionally supported by the Raman spectroscopy data.

Synthesis of a Counteranion-Stabilized Bis(silylium) Ion

The preparation of a molecule with two alkyl‐tethered silylium‐ion sites from the corresponding bis(hydrosilanes) by two‐fold hydride abstraction is reported. The length of the conformationally flexible alkyl bridge is crucial as otherwise the hydride abstraction stops at the stage of a cyclic bissilylated hydronium ion. With an ethylene tether, the open form of the hydronium‐ion intermediate is energetically accessible and engages in another hydride abstraction. The resulting bis(silylium) ion has been NMR spectroscopically and structurally characterized. Related systems based on rigid naphthalen‐n,m‐diyl platforms can only be converted into the dications when the positively charged silylium‐ion units are remote from each other (1,8 versus 1,5 and 2,6).

B–H functionalization of the monocarba-closo-dodecaborate anion by rhodium and iridium catalysis

The regioselective derivatization of the monocarba-closo-dodecaborate anion via catalytic B–H bond activation is reported.

The role of halogenated carborane monoanions in olefin hydrogenation catalysed by cationic iridium phosphine complexes

Iridium hydridophosphine complexes of general formula [Ir(PR3)2H2(anion)](PR3= PPh3, PMe2Ph; anion =[1-closo-CB(11)H(6)Cl(6)]-, [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)I(6)]-, [BAr(F)4]-) have been prepared by hydrogenation of cyclooctadiene precursor complexes. Solid-state structures of selected examples of these complexes reveal intimate contacts between the carborane anion and cation, with the anion binding through two lower-hemisphere halogen ligands. In CD2Cl2 solution the very weakly coordinating anions [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)Cl(6)]- and [BAr(F)4]- are suggested to favour the formation of solvent complexes such as [Ir(PR3)2H2(solvent)n][anion], while the [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)I(6)]- anion forms a tightly bound complex with the cationic iridium fragment. Calculated DeltaG values for anion reorganisation in d8-toluene reflect this difference in interaction between the anions and cation. With the bulky anion [1-closo-CB(11)Me(5)I(6)]- different complexes are formed: Ir(PPh3)H2(1-closo-HCB(11)Me(5)I(6)) and [(PPh3)3Ir(H2)H2][1-closo-HCB(11)Me(5)I(6)] which have been characterised spectroscopically. Diffusion measurements in CD2Cl2 are also consistent with larger, solvent coordinated, complexes for the more weakly coordinating anions and a tighter interaction between anion and cation for [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)I(6)]-. All the complexes show some ion-paring in solution. Comparison with data previously reported for the [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)Br(6)]- anion shows that this anion--as expected--fits between [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)Cl(6)]- and [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)I(6)]- in terms of coordinating ability. Although not coordinating, the large [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)Cl(6)]- and [BAr(F)4)]- anions do provide some stabilisation towards the metal centre, as decomposition to the hydride bridged dimer [Ir2(PPh3)4H5]+ is retarded. This is in contrast to the [PF6]- salt where decomposition is immediate. As expected, complexes with the smaller phosphine PMe2Ph form tighter interactions with the carborane anions. These observations on the interaction between anion and cation in solution are reflected in benchmark hydrogenation studies that show a significant attenuation in rate of hydrogenation of cyclohexane on using the [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)I(6)]- anion or complexes with the PMe2Ph phosphine. We also comment on the reusability of the catalysts and their tolerance to water and oxygen impurities. Overall the catalyst with the [1-closo-CB(11)H(6)Br(6)]- anion shows the best combination of rate of hydrogenation, reusability and tolerance to impurities.

Condensed Two- and Three-Dimensional Aromatic Systems: A Theoretical Study on the Relative Stabilities of Isomers of CB19H16+, B20H15Cl, and B20H14Cl2 and Comparison to B12H10Cl22-, C6H4Cl2, C10H7Cl, and C10H6Cl2

DFT studies (B3LYP/6-31G) on mono- and dichloro derivatives of benzene, naphthalene, B12H12(2-), four-atom-sharing condensed systems B20H16, and monocarborane isomers of B20H16 are used to compare the variation of relative stability and aromaticity between condensed aromatics. The trends in the variation of the relative energies and aromaticity in these two- and three-dimensional systems are similar. Aromaticity, estimated by NICS values, does not change considerably with condensation or substitution. The minor variation in the relative energies of the isomers of chloro derivatives is explained by the topological charge stabilization rule of Gimarc. The compatibility of the cap and ring orbitals decides the relative stability of CB19H16+.

Anion mediated structural motifs in silver(i) complexes with corannulene

The synthesis of three new silver(I) complexes with corannulene is reported. In the crystal these complexes form extended networks of Ag(+) ions, corannulene nuclei, and counterions, similar to the networks reported for Ag(+) with other polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The preferred Ag(+)-arene interaction is compared with the model developed by Kochi. The crystal motifs can be described by a classification scheme analogous to that developed by Etter for hydrogen-bonded networks in solids. The effect of counterion variation (ClO(4)(-), O(3)SCF(3)(-), BF(4)(-)) is noted to be substantial. Thus, although one can categorize the various networks, it is hard to predict an expected packing pattern on the basis of preferred binding in the metal/organic complex alone.

Coordination polymers with carborane anions: silver dinitrile complexes

Crystalline materials have been isolated and characterized from mixing the silver carborane salts Ag(CB(11)H(12)) or Ag[Co(C(2)B(9)H(11))(2)] with nitrile ligands, either terminal acetonitrile or potentially bridging alkanedinitriles. Most of the complexes showed B-H...Ag interactions between the silver center and carborane anion. [Ag(acetonitrile)(2)(CB(11)H(12))] has a hexagonal network structure. [Ag(malonitrile)(2)(CB(11)H(12))] is a discrete dimeric complex, while [Ag(4)(succinonitrile)(5)(CB(11)H(12))(4)], [Ag(glutaronitrile)(2)][Co(C(2)B(9)H(12))(2)], and [Ag(glutaronitrile)[Co(C(2)B(9)H(11))(2)]] all show coordination chain structures. The carborane anions in [Ag(adiponitrile)[Co(C(2)B(9)H(11))(2)]] bridge between Ag centers to give a 3D CdSO(4)-related coordination polymer. The structure of [Ag(malonitrile)(2)](BF(4)) was also determined to have an unusual chiral diamondoid structure with a skewed 2-fold interpenetration.

Silver−Phosphine Complexes of the Highly Methylated Carborane Monoanion [closo-1-H-CB11Me11]-

The synthesis of the silver(I) salt of the highly methylated carborane anion [closo-1-H-CB(11)Me(11)](-) is described, Ag[closo-1-H-CB(11)Me(11)] 1, which in the solid state shows close intermolecular Ag...H(3)C contacts. Addition of various monodentate phosphines to 1 results in the formation of the complexes (R(3)P)Ag[closo-1-H-CB(11)Me(11)] [R = Ph, 2; cyclohexyl (C(6)H(11)), 3; (3,5-Me(2)-C(6)H(3)), 4]. All these complexes show close intermolecular Ag.H(3)C contacts in the solid state that are considerably shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radius of methyl (2.00 A) and the ionic radius of silver(I) (1.29 A). For 2 and 3 there are other close intermolecular Ag...H(3)C contacts in the solid state, arising from proximate carborane anions in the crystal lattice. Addition of methyl groups to the periphery of the phosphine ligand (complex 4) switches off the majority of these interactions, leaving essentially a single cage interacting with the cationic silver-phosphine fragment through three CH(3) groups. In solution (CD(2)Cl(2)) Ag...H(3)C contacts remain, as evidenced by both the downfield chemical shift change and the significant line-broadening observed for the cage methyl signals. These studies also show that the metal fragment is fluxional over the surface of the cage. The Ag...H(3)C interactions in solution may be switched off by addition of a stronger Lewis base than [closo-1-H-CB(11)Me(11)](-). Thus, addition of [NBu(4)][closo-1-H-CB(11)H(5)Br(6)] to 2 affords (Ph(3)P)Ag[closo-1-H-CB(11)H(5)Br(6)], while adding Et(2)O or PPh(3) affords the well-separated ion-pairs [(Ph(3)P)(L)Ag][closo-1-H-CB(11)Me(11)] (L = OEt(2) 5, PPh(3) 6,) both of which have been crystallographically characterized. DFT calculations on 2 (at the B3LYP/DZVP level) show small energy differences between the possible coordination isomers of this compound, with the favored geometry being one in which the [(Ph(3)P)Ag](+) fragment interacts with three of the [BCH(3)] vertices on the lower surface of the cage, similar to the experimentally observed structure of 4.

Synthesis and characterization of ammonioundecafluoro-closo-dodecaborates(1-). New superweak anions

The ammonioborane monoanion H(3)NB(12)H(11)(-) was per-B-fluorinated with elemental fluorine in liquid hydrogen fluoride to yield the first member of a new class of weakly coordinating anions, H(3)NB(12)F(11)(-) (isolated as [N(n-Bu)(4)](2)[H(2)NB(12)F(11)] in 41% yield). The pK(a) of the H(3)NB(12)F(11)(-) anion is 9.6. Several salts of the tri-N-alkylated anions Me(3)NB(12)F(11)(-) and Dd(3)NB(12)F(11)(-) (Dd = n-C(12)H(25)) were also prepared. The structure of [CPh(3)][Me(3)NB(12)F(11)] was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction: monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c, a = 18.053(3) A, b = 33.139(5) A, c = 9.600(2) A, beta = 91.459(4) degrees, V = 5742(2) A(3), Z = 8, T = 173(2) K, R(1) = 0.045. It revealed that the only direct interactions between the undecafluoroammonioborate monoanions and the trityl cations in the two independent ion pairs were long and weak BF...CPh(3) interactions of 2.992(6) and 2.942(6) A. Salts of the new anions were chemically, electrochemically, and thermally stable. The conductivity of Li(Me(3)NB(12)F(11)) in dimethoxyethane was comparable to that of LiPF(6) but less than half the value of Li(1-Me-CB(11)F(11)).

Solution and solid-state structure of the anion [Ag(2)[closo-CB(11)H(12)](4)](2-)

Addition of the carbene 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) to a toluene solution of Ag[closo-CB(11)H(12)] results in the formation of the complex [(IMes)(2)Ag](2)[Ag(2)[closo-CB(11)H(12)](4)], the anionic component of which contains two silver(I) centers bridged by two carboranes in addition to one terminally bound carborane on each metal, in the solid-state. Comparison of the observed (11)B[(1)H] NMR chemical shifts of [(IMes)(2)Ag](2)[Ag(2)[closo-CB(11)H(12)](4)] or Ag[closo-CB(11)H(12)] with [NBu(4)][closo-CB(11)H(12)] in CD(2)Cl(2) demonstrates that the silver ion interacts significantly with the cage in solution. Theoretical investigations using the ab initio/GIAO/NMR method of [closo-CB(11)H(12)](-) and Na[closo-CB(11)H(12)] as model geometries for the silver salts support experimental evidence for these Ag...[BH] interactions in solution.

Monocarbaborane Anion Chemistry. Syntheses and Structures Within the closo Nine-Vertex System

Reaction of HCHO with B10H14 under aqueous alkaline conditions yields the arachno 10-vertex [6-CB9H14]- anion 2 (60%) which upon solid-state thermolysis as its Cs+ salt yields the closo 9-vertex [4-CB8H9]- anion 1 (45%). MeCHO reacts similarly to give the C-methylated arachno [6-Me-6-CB9H13]- anion 4 (37%) which upon thermolysis gives the closo [4-Me-4-CB8H8]- anion 3 (72%). PhCHO with B10H14 under alkaline conditions gives the nido 10-vertex [6-Ph-6-CB9H11]- anion 6 (85%) which upon thermolysis of its [NEt4]+ salt gives the closo [4-Ph-4-CB8H8]- anion 5 (73%). In a preliminary iodination investigation, unsubstituted closo anion 1 with elemental I2 in CH2Cl2 gives approximately equimolar closo [4-CB8H8-3-I]- 12 and closo [4-CB8H8-5-I]- 13 (ca 60%) and smaller amounts of closo [4-CB8H7-5,6-I2]- 14 (12%). The [NEt4]+ salts of 1, 3 and 5 are characterised crystallographically, as is the [PMePh3]+ salt of 12.

Proposed fluorination mechanism of CB(5)H(6)(-) and CB(9)H(10)(-) with HF. Evidence of kinetic control in the formation of 2-CB(5)H(5)F(-) and 6-CB(9)H(9)F(-)

Two pathways have been considered in the fluorination of CB(5)H(6)(-) and CB(9)H(10)(-) by HF. In the ionic HF fluorination pathway, the monocarborane anion cage is first protonated in a BBB face followed by H(2) elimination and fluoride anion addition. In the covalent HF fluorination pathway, HF is first coordinated through hydrogen to the BBB face. Next, the fluorine can add to either an axial or equatorial boron atom which opens the cage to a nido structure with an endo fluoride substituent. Endo to exo rearrangement occurs with a small activation barrier followed by H(2) elimination. In both pathways, fluorination at the equatorial boron position is predicted to have smaller activation barriers even though substitution at the axial position leads to the more stable products.