Preparation and properties of gallaborane, GaBH(6): structure of the gaseous molecule H(2)Ga(mu-H)(2)BH(2) as determined by vibrational, electron diffraction, and ab initio studies, and structure of the crystalline solid at 110 K as determined by X-ray diffraction

Molecular Main Group Metal Hydrides

This review serves to document advances in the synthesis, versatile bonding, and reactivity of molecular main group metal hydrides within Groups 1, 2, and 12-16. Particular attention will be given to the emerging use of said hydrides in the rapidly expanding field of Main Group element-mediated catalysis. While this review is comprehensive in nature, focus will be given to research appearing in the open literature since 2001.

Reversible borohydride formation from aluminium hydrides and {H(9-BBN)}2: structural, thermodynamic and reactivity studies

A series of novel β-diketiminate stabilised aluminium borohydrides of the type (Nacnac)Al(R){H₂(9-BBN)} has been synthesised offering variation in both the auxiliary R substituent and in the Nacnac backbone itself. A number of these complexes show unusual dissociation of the borane from the aluminium hydride in solution under ambient conditions. The lability of the borane is shown (by variable temperature NMR analyses) to be influenced by the electronic character of both the aluminium-bound R substituent and the Nacnac ligand itself, such that electron-withdrawing substituents lead to greater dissociation of the borane. Comparison of these complexes with related systems featuring the tetrahydroborate [BH₄]^- ligand illustrates the impact of the boron-bound substituents on the ability of the borane fragment to dissociate from the aluminium hydride. This dissociative behaviour is shown to be highly influential on the ability of the borohydride complexes to reduce carbon dioxide in a stoichiometric manner.

A Theoretical Study on the Mechanism of Boron Metathesis

The mechanism of the boron metathesis reaction of the transition-metal-aminoborylene complex Cp(CO)(2)FeBN(CH(3))(2+) (8) with EX, where EX = H(3)PO (9ap), H(3)AsO (9bp), H(3)PS (9aq), H(3)AsS (9bq), CH(3)CHCH(2) (9cr), (NH(2))(2)CCH(2) (9dr), H(2)CO (9ep), and (NH(2))(2)CO (9dp) is investigated at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ level. The analysis of bonding and charge distribution shows that the Fe-borylene complex (8) is a Fischer-type carbene analogue. The attack of the olefin takes place at the metal end of the M=C bond of the metal-carbene complex in olefin metathesis and proceeds via [2 + 2] cycloaddition, while in boron metathesis, the initial attack of the substrates takes place at the positively charged B atom of the Fe-borylene complex and forms the preferred acyclic intermediate. The energetics of boron metathesis is comparable to that of the olefin metathesis. Substrates that are polar and a have low-lying sigma* molecular orbital (weak sigma bond) prefer the boron metathesis reaction. The relative stability of the metathesis products is controlled by the strength of the Fe-E and B-X bonds of the products 13 and 14, respectively. We have also investigated the possibility of a beta-hydride-transfer reaction in the Fe-borylene complex.

Gas electron diffraction study of the vapour over dimethylamine–gallane leading to an improved structure for dimeric dimethylamidogallane, [Me2NGaH2]2: a cautionary tale

Dimethylamine-gallane is relatively slow to decompose in a closed system and vaporises at low temperature primarily as Me2(H)N.GaH3 molecules which can be trapped in a solid Ar matrix and characterised by their IR spectrum. Under the conditions needed to secure a useful gas electron diffraction (GED) pattern, however, the vapour was found to consist of dimeric dimethylamidogallane molecules, [Me2NGaH2]2, formed from the secondary amine adduct by elimination of H2, and the most reliable structure for which has been determined. Salient structural parameters (r(hl) structure) were found to be: r(Ga-N) 202.6(2), r(Ga-H) 155.6(8), r(N-C) 148.0(3), r(C-H) 111.2(6) pm; Ga-N-Ga 90.7(1), C-N-C 109.3(5), N-C-H 109.9(10) and H-Ga-H 119.4(42) degrees.

Decomposition of Monochlorogallane, [H2GaCl]n, and Adducts with Amine and Phosphine Bases: Formation of Cationic Gallane Derivatives

Thermal decomposition of monochlorogallane, [H2GaCl]n, at ambient temperatures results in the formation of subvalent gallium species. To Ga[HGaCl3], previously reported, has now been added a second mixed-valence solid, Ga4[HGaCl3]2[Ga2Cl6] (1), the crystal structure of which at 150 K shows a number of unusual features. Adducts of monochlorogallane, most readily prepared from the hydrochloride of the base and LiGaH4 in appropriate proportions, include not only the 1:1 molecular complex Me3P.GaH2Cl (2), but also 2:1 amine complexes which prove to be cationic gallane derivatives, [H2Ga(NH2R)2]+Cl-, where R = tBu (3a) or sBu (3b). All three of these complexes have been characterized crystallographically at 150 K.

The Binding Energy and Bonding in Dialane

The binding energy of dialane, Al2H6, has been measured using mass spectrometric techniques to be 33 +/- 5 kcal/mol. This represents the first measurement of the thermochemical properties of dialane, which has only recently been observed in low-temperature matricies. High-level quantum mechanical calculations give a binding energy in agreement with the measured value. Experimental and quantum mechanical calculations show that dialane is chemically similar to diborane, B2H6, even though the bonding for these two systems shows significant differences.

Some Novel Binuclear Group 13 Metal Tin Hydrides Formed in Ar Matrices Following the Codeposition of the Metal Vapor with SnH4

IR measurements show that co-condensation of Al or Ga atoms (M) with SnH4 in a solid Ar matrix at about 12 K results mainly in the spontaneous insertion of the metal into an Sn-H bond to form the M(II) hydride HMSnH3. Simultaneously the Ga2 dimer also reacts with SnH4, possibly to form a nido-type cluster Ga2(mu-H)4Sn, with a metal-deficient cubane-like structure. All of these products are photolabile. Irradiation with visible light causes HMSnH3 to tautomerize to the novel dihydrido-bridged species H3M(mu-H)2Sn, which decomposes in turn under broad-band UV-visible light (lambda=200-800 nm); some H3Al(mu-H)2Sn is formed even on deposition. The data collected from experiments with SnH4 and SnD4 and different reagent concentrations, together with the results of quantum chemical calculations, are used to interpret the results and elucidate the structures and bonding of the new species.