The effect of a paramagnetic metal ion within a molecule: comparison of the structurally identical paramagnetic [3,3-Fe(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- with the diamagnetic [3,3-Co(1,2-C2B9H11)2]- sandwich complexes.

Derivatives of the ferrabisdicarbollide [3,3'-Fe(1,2-C(2)B(9)H(11))(2)](-) have been produced starting from the zwitterion [3,3'-Fe(8-(OCH(2)CH(2))(2)-1,2-C(2)B(9)H(10))(1',2'-C(2)B(9)H(11))], 1, upon reaction with nucleophiles: alkoxides, halides and hydrosulfide ions HS(-). The result has been the preparation of [3,3'-Fe(8-(OCH(2)CH(2))(2)R/X-1,2-C(2)B(9)H(10))(1',2'-C(2)B(9)H(11))] (R = OMe, [2](-); OEt, [3](-); OCH(2)CH(2)OCH(3), [4](-); and X = Cl, [5](-); Br, [6](-); I, [7](-); and SH, [8](-)). The reaction behavior of is comparable to the well-studied cobalt equivalent, [3,3'-Co(8-(OCH(2)CH(2))2-1,2-C(2)B(9)H(10))(1',2'-C(2)B(9)H(11))], and the yields and stability of the resulting complexes are similar.

Towards multifunctional materials incorporating elastomers and reversible redox-active fragments.

This paper presents a novel and unique feature of metallacarboranes, consisting of the linkage of this redox electro-active site to a stretchable polymer. This is based on polyTHF, a known and applied material. This hybrid material has the two ends functionalized: one with the aforementioned redox molecule and the other with a terminal OH group, both linked by a molecular spring.

Amphiphilic COSAN and I2-COSAN crossing synthetic lipid membranes: planar bilayers and liposomes.

The boron-rich cobaltabisdicarbollide (COSAN) and its 8,8'-I2 derivative (I2-COSAN), both of purely inorganic nature, are shown to cross through synthetic lipid membranes. These results reveal unexpected properties at the interface of biological and synthetic membranes.

Preparation and characterization of Au nanoparticles capped with mercaptocarboranyl clusters.

The preparation of 3-4 nm and 10 nm gold nanoparticles capped with neutral carborane-based mercaptocarboranes, via two different preparative routes, is reported. The resulting boron-enriched nanomaterials exhibit complete dispersibility in water, opening the way for the use of these monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) in medical applications, such as boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). These newly prepared MPCs have been characterized by FTIR, (1)H and (11)B NMR spectroscopy, UV-visible, centrifugal particle sizing (CPS), and, in some cases, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).

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.

Toward the synthesis of high boron content polyanionic multicluster macromolecules.

Reported are further consequences of the dioxane ring opening in [3,3'-Co(8-(CH(2)CH(2)O)(2)-1,2-C(2)B(9)H(10))(1',2'-C(2)B(9)H(11))], [1], with 12-vertex carborane mono- and dianions. The removal of one BH vertex from the 1,2-closo-C(2)B(9)H(12) part of the double-cluster monoanions of type [1''-X-2''-R-closo-1'',2''-C(2)B(10)H(11)](-), [2](-) (where X = [3,3'-Co(8-(CH(2)CH(2)O)(2)-1,2-C(2)B(9)H(10))(1',2'-C(2)B(9)H(11))](-) and R = H, [2](-); CH(3), [8](-) and C(6)H(5), [9](-)), via heating with ethanolic KOH or CsF led to the isolation of a series of orange dianions having the general formula [7''-X-8''-R-7'',8''-nido -C(2)B(9)H(11)](2-) (R = H, [11](2-); CH(3), [12](2-); and C(6)H(5), [13](2-)). The same procedure applied to the dianionic triple-cluster compound [1'',2''-X(2)-1'',2''-closo-C(2)B(10)H(10)](2-), [5](2-), yielded the trianionic species [7'',8''-X(2)-7'',8''-nido -C(2)B(9)H(10)](3-), [14](3-).