ABSTRACT
The mol-ecular structure of the title compound 1-(2',3',5',6'-tetra-fluoro-4'-trifluoro-methyl-phen-yl)-closo-1,2-dicarbadodeca-borane, C9H11B10F7, features an intra-molecular ortho-Fâ¯H2 hydrogen bond [2.11â (2)â Å], which is responsible for an orientation of the hepta-fluoro-tolyl substituent in which the plane of the aryl ring nearly eclipses the C1-C2 cage connectivity.
ABSTRACT
Three examples of the rare 8,1,2-closo-MC2B9 isomeric form of an icosahedral metallacarborane have been isolated as unexpected trace products in reactions. Seeking to understand how these were formed we considered both the nature of the reactions that were being undertaken and the nature of the coproducts. This led us to propose a mechanism for the formation of the 8,1,2-closo-MC2B9 species. The mechanism was then tested, leading to the first deliberate synthesis of an example of this isomer. Thus, deboronation of 4-(η-C5H5)-4,1,8-closo-CoC2B10H12 selectively removes the B5 vertex to yield the dianion [nido-(η-C5H5)CoC2B9H11](2-), oxidative closure of which affords 8-(η-C5H5)-8,1,2-closo-CoC2B9H11 in moderate yield.
ABSTRACT
The icosahedral carboranes 1-C(6)F(5)-2-Ph-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (1), 1-(4'-F(3)CC(6)H(4))-2-Ph-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (2), 1,2-(4'-F(3)CC(6)H(4))(2)-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (3), 1-(4'-H(3)CC(6)F(4))-2-Ph-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (4), 1-(4'-F(3)CC(6)F(4))-2-Ph-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (5), 1,2-(4'-F(3)CC(6)F(4))(2)-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (6), 1,7-(4'-F(3)CC(6)F(4))(2)-1,7-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (7) and 1,12-(4'-F(3)CC(6)F(4))(2)-1,12-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10) (8), with fluorinated aryl substituents on cage carbon atoms, have been prepared in good to high yields and characterised by microanalysis, (1)H, (11)B and (19)F NMR spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and (spectro)electrochemistry. By analysis of <δ(11)B>, the weighted average (11)B chemical shift, a ranking order for the ortho carboranes 1-6 is established based on the combined electron-withdrawing properties of the C-substituents, and is in perfect agreement with that established independently by electrochemical study. In a parallel computational study the effects of a wide range of different substituents on the redox properties of carboranes have been probed by comparison of ΔE values, where ΔE is the energy gap between the DFT-optimised [7,9-R(2)-7,9-nido-C(2)B(10)](2-) anion and its DFT-optimised basket-shaped first oxidation product. The overall conclusion from the NMR spectroscopic, electrochemical and computational studies is that strongly electron withdrawing substituents significantly stabilise [7,9-nido-C(2)B(10)](2-) dianions with respect to oxidation, and that the best practical substituent is 4-F(3)CC(6)F(4). Thus attention focussed on the reduction of 1,2-(4'-F(3)CC(6)F(4))(2)-1,2-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10), compound 6. The sequence 6/[6](-)/[6](2-) appears reversible on the cyclic voltammetric timescale but on the longer timescale of macroelectrolysis the radical anion is only partially stable. EPR study of the electrogenerated monoanions from the ortho-carboranes 1-6 confirms the cage-centred nature of the redox processes. In contrast, the reduction of the meta- and para-carboranes 7 and 8, respectively, appears to be centred on the aromatic substituents, a conclusion supported by the results of DFT calculation of the LUMOs of compounds 6-8. Bulk 2-electron reduction of 6 affords a dianion which is remarkably stable to reoxidation, surviving for several hours in the open laboratory in the absence of halogenated solvents.
ABSTRACT
The reduction and subsequent oxidation of meta-carboranes containing bulky groups attached to the cage C atoms affords sterically-crowded ortho-carboranes with unprecedentedly long C-C connectivities.
