Cationic Polyhedral Chalcogenaboranes: Activation without breaking Wade's Rules

Wade's rules are a well-established tool for the description of the geometry of inorganic clusters. Among others, they state that a decrease or increase in charge is always accompanied by a change in the number of skeletal electron pairs (SEPs). This work reports the synthesis of the first cationic chalcogenaboranes closo-[12-X-2-IPr-1-EB11H10]BF4 (IPr=1,3-(2,6-iPr2C6H3)-imidazole-2-ylidene; X=H, I; E=S, Se 3 a/b, 4 a/b) featuring the same SEP count as their neutral precursors, EB11H11, but bearing a positive charge. This ionisation significantly enhances the activity towards the electrophiles. It unlocks reactivity with very weak bases and offers the control of the regioselectivity towards hard/soft bases by the modulation of LUMO. The localisation of the positive charge within the borane cluster has been confirmed experimentally, spectroscopically and theoretically.

Access to cationic polyhedral carboranes via dynamic cage surgery with N-heterocyclic carbenes

Polyhedral boranes and heteroboranes appear almost exclusively as neutral or anionic species, while the cationic ones are protonated at exoskeletal heteroatoms or they are instable. Here we report the reactivity of 10-vertex closo-dicarbadecaboranes with one or two equivalents of N-heterocyclic carbene to 10-vertex nido mono- and/or bis-carbene adducts, respectively. These complexes easily undergo a reaction with HCl to give cages of stable and water soluble 10-vertex nido-type cations with protonation in the form of a BHB bridge or 10-vertex closo-type cations containing one carbene ligand when originating from closo-1,10-dicarbadecaborane. The reaction of a 10-vertex nido mono-carbene adduct with phosphorus trichloride gives nido-11-vertex 2-phospha-7,8-dicarbaundecaborane, which undergoes an oxidation of the phosphorus atom to P = O, while the product of a bis-carbene adduct reaction is best described as a distorted C₂B₆H₈ fragment bridged by the (BH)₂PCl₂⁺ moiety.

In comparison to their neutral or anionic counterparts, examples of cationic boron clusters remain scarce. Here, the authors prepare a variety of cationic polyhedral boranes by reacting closo-10-vertex carboranes with N-heterocyclic carbenes; the resulting open-cage cationic nido- arachno- or closo- derivatives are water soluble, which may enable unprecedented applications.

The in Situ NHC-Palladium Catalyzed Selective Activation of B(3)-H or B(6)-H Bonds of o-Carboranes for Hydroboration of Alkynes: An Efficient Approach to Alkenyl-o-carboranes

An in situ Pd-NHC catalyzed selective B(3,6)-H activation for hydroboration of internal alkynes has been accomplished under mild conditions. This work offers a facile approach for the synthesis of alkenyl-o-carboranes and has important reference for selective functionalization of B(3,6)-H bonds.

Off-Cycle Processes in Pd-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Carboranes

Off-cycle processes in catalytic reactions can dramatically influence the outcome of the chemical transformation and affect its yield, selectivity, rate, and product distribution. While the generation of off-cycle intermediates can complicate reaction coordinate analyses or hamper catalytic efficiency, the generation of such species may also open new routes to unique chemical products. Recently, we reported the Pd-mediated functionalization of carboranes with a range of O-, N-, and C-based nucleophiles. By utilizing a Pd-based catalytic system supported by a biaryl phosphine ligand developed by Buchwald and co-workers, we discovered an off-cycle isomerization process ("cage-walking") that generates four regioisomeric products from a single halogenated boron cluster isomer. Here we describe how several off-cycle processes affect the regioisomer yield and distribution during Pd-catalyzed tandem cage-walking/cross-coupling. In particular, tuning the transmetallation step in the catalytic cycle allowed us to incorporate the cage-walking process into Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of sterically unencumbered substrates, including cyanide. This work demonstrates the feasibility of using tandem cage-walking/cross-coupling as a unique low-temperature method for producing regioisomers of mono-substituted carboranes.

Nucleophilic substitution: a facile strategy for selective B-H functionalization of carboranes

Vertex-specific functionalization of carboranes has received considerable research interest, due to the valuable application of carborane derivatives in medicine, coordination/organometallic chemistry and materials. In comparison with a protic cage C-H bond, cage B-H is hydridic and generally less polar, with a bond dissociation energy of ca. 108 kcal mol^-1. These features make B-H activation quite different from that of the C-H bond. In addition, selectivity among ten very similar BH vertices in o-carborane is challenging yet crucial to the effective construction of carborane-based functional molecules. To address these issues, a brand new strategy of cage B-H nucleophilic substitution has recently been presented and developed for straightforward and regioselective cage B-H functionalization. The regioselectivity can be controlled by the electronic/steric properties of the cage carbon substituents. This Frontier article highlights the recent advancement in the nucleophilic cage B-H substitution of carboranes.

Thiaborane clusters with an exoskeletal B-H group

The thiaboranes closo-1-SB11H11 (1a) and 12-I-closo-1-SB11H10 (1b) react with 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine under inert conditions upon the formation of the nido-type thiaboranes 9-B{(4-Me2N)C5NH4}2(H)-7-SB10H11 and 9-B{(4-Me2N)C5NH4}2(H)-5-I-7-SB10H10 containing an exoskeletal B-H group. The same type of B-H moiety is also stabilised by one bipyridine molecule in a chelating fashion. These complexes are unstable in solution, and in air and hydrolyse to monodeboronated ionic compounds having [nido-7-SB10H11]- or [5-I-nido-7-SB10H10]- anions which are also products of the reactions of 1a and 1b with other N-bases such as pyridine, ammonia and DABCO. The extrusion of one boron and one sulphur atom takes place when 1a reacts with 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine to yield decaborane.

Investigation of Thiaborane closo- nido Conversion Pathways Promoted by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes

The 12-X- closo-SB₁₁H₁₀ (X = H or I) thiaboranes react with one or two molar equivalents of various N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) to give the deprotonated 12-vertex species of [12-X-SB₁₁H₉·NHC]^-[NHC-H]⁺composition as kinetic products. The use of one molar equivalent of a sterically more hindered NHC reactant leads to the formation of 12-X-SB₁₁H₁₀·NHC adducts with a heavily distorted cage and the nido electron count. Further reaction of 12-I-SB₁₁H₁₀·NHC to deboronated 12-X-SB₁₀H₉·NHC proceeds in acetone to complete the closo- nido reaction pathway under the thermodynamic control. The structures of all compounds have been investigated by NMR spectroscopy and diffraction techniques. The results are supported by theoretical methods.

Cyclic amino(carboranyl) silylene: synthesis, structure and reactivity

A carbene-stabilized cyclic amino(carboranyl) silylene has been prepared and structurally characterized, which can form a Lewis acid–base adduct with borane and undergo cycloaddition reactions with unsaturated molecules such as diphenylacetylene and benzophenone.

Opening of Carborane Cages by Metal Cluster Complexes: The Reaction of a Thiolate-Substituted Carborane with Triosmium Carbonyl Cluster Complexes

The reaction of Os3(CO)10(NCMe)2 with closo-o-(1-SCH3)C2B10H11 has yielded the complex Os3(CO)9[μ3-η(3)-C2B10H9(SCH3)](μ-H)2, 1, by the loss of the two NCMe ligands and one CO ligand from the Os3 cluster and the coordination of the sulfur atom and the activation of two B-H bonds with transfer of the hydrogen atoms to the cluster. Reaction of 1 with a second equivalent of Os3(CO)10(NCMe)2 yielded the complex Os3(CO)9(μ-H)[(μ3-η(3)-1,4,5-μ3-η(3)-6,10,11-C2B10H8S(CH3)]Os3(CO)9(μ-H)2, 2, that contains two triosmium triangles attached to the same carborane cage. The carborane cage was opened by cleavage of two B-C bonds and one B-B bond. The B-H group that was pulled out of the cage became a triply bridging group on one of the Os3 triangles but remains bonded to the cage by two B-B bonds. When heated to 150 °C, 2 was transformed into the complex Os3(CO)9(μ-H)[(μ3-η(3)-μ3-η(3)-C2B10H7S(CH3)]Os3(CO)9(μ-H), 3, by the loss of two hydrogen atoms and a rearrangement that led to further opening of the carborane cage. Reaction of 1 with a second equivalent of closo-o-(1-SCH3)C2B10H11 has yielded the complex Os3(CO)6)(μ3-η(3)-C2B10H9-R-SCH3) (μ3-η(3)-C2B10H10-S-SCH3)(μ-H)3, 4a, containing two carborane cages coordinated to one Os3 cluster. Compound 4a was isomerized to the compound Os3(CO)6(μ3-η(3)-C2B10H9-R-SCH3)(μ3-η(3)-C2B10H10-R-SCH3)(μ-H)3, 4b, by an inversion of stereochemistry at one of the sulfur atoms by heating to 174 °C.

Reversible water activation driven by contraction and expansion of a 12-vertex-closo-12-vertex-nido biscarborane cluster

The metal-free reversible activation of H–OH bonds of water driven by the rearrangement of a boron cluster is presented.

Tethered N-heterocyclic carbene–carboranes: unique ligands that exhibit unprecedented and versatile coordination modes at rhodium

Hybrid ligands combining an N-heterocyclic carbene tethered with carboranes covalently coordinate to Rh^I through both NHC and carborane moieties.

Reaction of N-heterocyclic carbenes with 13-vertex closo-carboranes: synthesis and structural characterization of zwitterionic salts of 13-vertex nido-carboranes

13-Vertexcloso-carboranes and N-heterocyclic carbenes undergo a fast acid–base reaction to generate intermediates that are slowly converted to the final products.

Unprecedented formation of polycyclic diazadiborepine derivatives through cage deboronation of m-carborane

An unprecedented deboronation reaction of icosahedral carboranes is described, in which a BH group of m-carborane is detached from the cage and incorporated into an unusual nido-carborane-anellated diazadiborepine ring system.

Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of 13- and 14-vertex carboranes

Carboranes are a class of polyhedral boron hydride clusters in which one or more of the BH vertices are replaced by CH units. Their chemistry has been dominated by 12-vertex carboranes for over half a century. In contrast, knowledge regarding supercarboranes (carboranes with more than 12 vertices) had been limited merely to possible cage geometries predicted by theoretical work before 2003. Only in recent years has significant progress been made in synthesizing supercarboranes. Such a breakthrough relied on the use of Carbon-Atoms-Adjacent (CAd) nido-carborane dianions or arachno-carborane tetraanions as starting materials. In this Account, we describe our work on constructing and elucidating the chemistry of supercarboranes. Earlier attempted insertions of the formal [BR](2+) unit into Carbon-Atoms-Apart (CAp) 12-vertex nido-[7,9-C2B10H12](2-) did not produce the desired 13-vertex carboranes. Such failure is often attributed to the extraordinary stability of the B12 icosahedron (the "icosahedral barrier"). However, the difference in reducing power between CAp and CAd 12-vertex nido-carborane dianions had been overlooked. Our results have shown that CAd nido-carborane dianions are weaker reducing agents than the CAp isomers, allowing a capitation to prevail over a redox reactivity. This finding provides an entry point to the synthesis of supercarboranes and a series of 13- and 14-vertex closo-carboranes have been prepared and structurally characterized. They share some chemical properties with those of 12-vertex carboranes; on the other hand, they have their own unique characteristics. For example, a 13- vertex closo-carborane can undergo single electron reduction to give a stable carborane radical anion with [2n + 3] framework electrons, which can accept one additional electron to form a 13-vertex CAd nido-carborane dianion. 13-Vertex closo-carborane can also react with various nucleophiles to afford the cage carbon and/or boron extrusion products closo-CB11(-), nido-CB10(-), closo-CB10(-), and closo-C2B10, depending on the nature of the nucleophiles. Studies of supercarboranes remain a relative young research area, particularly in comparison to the rich literature of icosahedral carboranes with 12-vertices. Other supercarboranes are expected to be prepared and structurally characterized as the field progresses, and the results detailed here will further these efforts.

Reaction of 13-vertex carborane μ-1,2-(CH2)3-1,2-C2B11H11 with nucleophiles: scope and mechanism

13-Vertex carborane, μ-1,2-(CH(2))(3)-1,2-C(2)B(11)H(11) (1), reacted with a series of nucleophiles (Nu) to give the cage carbon extrusion products [μ-1,2-(CH(2))(3)CH(Nu)-1-CB(11)H(10)](-), [μ-1,2-(CH(2))(2)CH(Nu)CH(2)-1-CB(11)H(10)](-), and/or [μ-1,2-(CH(2))(2)CH═CH-1-CB(11)H(10)](-), depending on the nature of Nu and the reaction conditions. The key intermediates for the formation of CB(11)(-) anions were isolated and structurally characterized as [μ-η:η:η-7,8,10-(CH(2))(3)CHB(Nu)-7-CB(10)H(10)](-) (Nu = OMe, NEt(2)). The reaction mechanism is thus proposed, which involves the attack of Nu at the most electron-deficient cage boron, followed by H-migration to one of the cage carbons, leading to the formation of the intermediate. Nu-migration gives the products.