Widely applicable metallacarborane reagents for π-conjugated systems.

The compounds [N(CH3)4][3,3'-Co(8-(p-C6H4C2H3)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)], [N(CH3)4][3,3'-Co(8-(p-C6H4CHO)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)], and [N(CH3)4][3,3'-Co(8-(m-C6H4CHO)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] were synthesized using an easy methodology, in very good yields and large quantities, which are important requisites to be employed as starting reagents. They have been fully characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR, and MALDI-TOF-MS, and the crystal structures of [N(CH3)4][3,3'-Co(8-(p-C6H4C2H3)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] and [N(CH3)4][3,3'-Co(8-(p-C6H4CHO)-1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These compounds, having terminal formyl and vinyl functional groups, are suitable platforms to involve the aromatic cobaltabisdicarbollide unit into extended π-conjugated systems.

Influential role of ethereal solvent on organolithium compounds: the case of carboranyllithium.

The influence of ethereal solvents (diethyl ether (Et(2)O), tetrahydrofuran (THF) or dimethoxyethane (DME)) on the formation of organolithiated compounds has been studied on the 1,2-C(2)B(10)H(12) platform. This platform is very attractive because it contains two C(c)-H adjacent units ready to be lithiated. On would expect that the closeness of both C(c)-H units would induce a higher resistance of the second C(c)-H unit being lithiated following the first lithiation.

Mercaptocarborane-capped gold nanoparticles: electron pools and ion traps with switchable hydrophilicity.

A simple single-phase method for the preparation of ca. 2 nm gold nanoparticles capped with mercaptocarborane ligands is introduced. The resultant monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) exhibit redox-dependent solubility and readily phase transfer between water and nonpolar solvents depending on the electronic and ionic charge stored in the metal core and in the ligand shell, respectively.