Intramolecular Pericyclic Re-hydroboration via Six-Membered Transition State: Synthesis of Fused Borolo[3,2-b]siloles.

We experimentally demonstrate a new type of the intramolecular reaction between non-activated alkyne units and the dialkylboryl group (9-BBN), which was previously only hypothesized and studied on a calculational level. The reaction described here can formally be classified as a 1,2-hydroboration reaction, but, in contrast to the classical mechanism via a cyclic four-membered transition state, the reaction proceeds by a pericyclic mechanism involving a six-membered transition state. In practice, the reaction allows the synthesis of a new class of the borolenes fused with silole or dihydrosilole units.

Experimental and Computational Se NMR Spectroscopic Study on Selenaborane Cluster Compounds.

Calculated and measured Se nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) chemical shift data on a diverse collection of 13 selenaborane cluster compounds, containing a total of 19 selenium centers, reveals a correlation between chemical shifts and the intracluster coordination of selenium atoms within their borane frameworks. A plot of the measured against calculated Se NMR chemical shifts shows an approximately linear relationship that can serve as a predictive tool in assessing the chemical shift range in which a selenium vertex from a particular compound might be expected to be found, thereby reducing expensive experimental time. Furthermore, the relative chemical shifts between selenium vertices in clusters containing more than one selenium atom are consistent across the range, thus allowing the assignment of the selenium resonances with a high degree of confidence even in relatively low-level density functional theory calculations.

One-Pot Synthesis of 2,5-Dihydrosiloles and Their Silole-Annulated Analogs Starting from Alkynylsilanes with a Terminal Alkynyl Group.

In contrast to the reaction of vinyl(alkynyl)silanes with 9-BBN-H, leading to the quantitative formation of 5-R-4-(9-BBN)-2,3-dihydro-1-siloles, treatment of bis(alkynyl)silanes bearing one terminal alkynyl group with 2 equiv of 9-BBN-H followed by methanolysis afforded 5-R-4-(9-BBN)-2,5-dihydro-1-siloles with yields of 85-90% (by NMR integration). The reaction proceeds via a double 1,2-hydroboration of the terminal triple bond with the formation of the geminal diborane followed by ring closure via intramolecular 1,1-carboboration of the remaining alkynyl fragment. Depending on the nature of the substituent R in position 5, the allylic BBN group locates in position 3 (R = Ph) or position 5 (R = SiHMe, SiMe) to give 2,3- or 2,5-dihydrosiloles, respectively.

Synthesis of closo-1,2-HCBMe and 1,2-HCBMeX (X = I and OTf) Dicarbaboranes and Their Rearrangement Reactions.

Methyl-camouflaged dicarbaboranes closo-1,2- and 1,10-HCBMe have been prepared in high yields either from nido-5,6-HCBH or closo-1,2-HCBH via electrophilic methylation reactions and cluster-rearrangement methods. Prepared were also monosubstituted derivatives of general formulation closo-HCBMe-X (X = I or OTf). The permethylated compounds exhibit extreme air stability in comparison to unprotected counterparts as a consequence of rigid, egg-shaped hydrocarbon structures incorporating inner CB carborane scaffolding.

Helicenes Built from Silacyclopentadienes via Ring-by-Ring Knitting of the Helical Framework.

Despite the apparent diversity of the protocols developed for the synthesis of helicenes, they essentially follow the same strategy: the closure of one, or several, internal rings in a key step. Herein, we report the synthesis of a new family of the heterohelicenes consisting of fused silacyclopentadiene rings formed via a facile and novel process. The treatment of oligo(alkynilydenesilylene) precursors of type H C=CH-(SiMe -C≡C) -R (n=3-7), bearing a vinyl group on the terminal silicon atom, with 9-borabicyclononane leads first to 1,2-hydroboration of the terminal double bond which then continues with a cascade of intramolecular 1,1-carboboration reactions accompanied with the closure of a new silole ring after each step affording the target silahelicenes with, currently, up to seven condensed silole rings and with excellent yields.

Quantitative syntheses of permethylated -1,10-RCBMe (R = H, Me) carboranes. Egg-shaped hydrocarbons on the Frontier between inorganic and organic chemistry.

Electrophilic methylation of the -1,10-RCBH (1) (R = H or Me) dicarbaboranes at higher temperatures or thermal rearrangement of the 1,6-RCBMe (3) compounds at 400-500 °C generated the B-permethylated derivatives -1,10-RCBMe (2) in quantitative (>95%) yields. The compounds exhibit extreme air stability as a consequence of a rigid, egg shaped hydrocarbon structures incorporating inner 1,10-CB carborane core.

Methyl camouflage in the ten-vertex closo-dicarbaborane(10) series. Isolation of closo-1,6-RCBMe (R = H and Me) and their monosubstituted analogues.

Reported are procedures leading to the first types of methyl camouflaged dicarbadecaboranes with fewer than eleven vertices. The compounds contain the closo-1,6-C2B8 scaffolding inside the egg-shaped hepta - decamethyl sheath, which imparts unusually high air and solvolytic stability to all of these compounds.

Unusual Closure of the Ten-Vertex Nido Cage via Alkylation: Regiospecific Synthesis of 3-Alkyl Derivatives of closo-1,2-CBH.

Alkylation of the [nido-5,6-RCBH] anions (where R = H and Me) with alkyl halides (RX, where R = primary and secondary alkyls) in boiling tetrahydrofuran (THF) proceeds via unusual H elimination, followed by cage closure to give a series of the neutral closo-1,2-RCBH-3-R derivatives in ∼70-80% yields. In contrast, treatment of the unsubstituted [nido-5,6-CBH] anion with tert-butyl bromide (t-BuBr) led to the formation of the parent closo-1,2-CBH in >85% yield. The constitution of all compounds isolated has been confirmed unambiguously by multinuclear (B, H, and C) nuclear magnetic resonance measurements and α-shift correlation assessments.

Quantitative Assessment of Substitution NMR Effects in the Model Series of o-Carborane Derivatives: α-Shift Correlation Method.

The principles of a new α-shift correlation (ASC) NMR method are demonstrated on a model series of substituted derivatives of o-carborane for which reliable NMR data are available. This graphical method revealed an acceptable linear correlation between α(B) or α(C) shifts and those induced by substituents in unsubstituted (u) positions of the carborane cluster. The linearity holds for all nuclei involved in skeletal bonding: Δδ(N) = g × α (where N = B, C, and H).

Electrophilic Halogenation of closo-1,2-CBH.

Initial studies on electrophilic halogenation of the dicarbaborane closo-1,2-CBH (1) have been carried out to reveal that the substitution takes place at B7 and B10 vertexes, which are the most removed from the CH positions. The course of the halogenation is strongly dependent on the nature of the halogenation agent and reaction conditions. Individual reactions led to the isolation of the monosubstituted compounds 1,2-CBH-10-X (2) (where X = F, I) and 1,2-CBH-7-X (3) (where X = Cl, I).

Prototropic μ-H and μ-H Tautomers Derived from the [nido-5,6-CBH] Anion.

Reported is an unusual tautomeric behavior within the [nido-5,6-CBH] (1a) cage that has no precedence in the whole area of carborane chemistry. Isolated were two skeletal tautomers, anions [6-Ph-nido-5,6-CBH-μ] (2d) and [5,6-Me-nido-5,6-CBH-μ] (3b), which differ in the positioning of the open-face hydrogen bridge. Their structures have been determined by X-ray diffraction analyses.

Click Dehydrogenation of Carbon-Substituted nido-5,6-C2B8H12 Carboranes: A General Route to closo-1,2-C2B8H10 Derivatives.

Triethylamine-catalyzed dehydrogenation of carbon-disubstituted dicarbaboranes 5,6-R2-nido-5,6-C2B8H10 [1, where R = H (1a), Me (1b), and Ph (1c)] in refluxing acetonitrile leads to a high-yield (up to 85-95%) formation of a series of dicarbaboranes 1,2-R2-closo-1,2-C2B8H8 (2). The monosubstituted 6-R-nido-5,6-C2B8H11 (3) analogues [where R = Ph (3a), naph (1-naphthyl; 3b), Bu (3c)] afforded 1-R-1,2-closo C2B8H9 (4) isomers [where R = Ph (4a), naph (4b), n-Bu (4c)] as the main products; compounds 4a and 4c were accompanied by 2-R-1,2-C2B8H9 (5) isomers (total yields up to 90%), with the 4/5 molar ratio being strongly dependent on the nature of R (4:1 and 1:1, respectively). All of these cage-closure reactions are supposed to proceed via the stage of the corresponding Et3NH(+) salts of nido anions [5,6-R2-5,6-C2B8H9](-) (1(-)) and [6-R-5,6-C2B8H10](-) (3(-)), which lose H2 and Et3N upon heating (dehydrodeamination).

Sequential Camouflage of the arachno-6,9-C2B8H14 Cage by Substituents.

Sequential methylation of arachno-6,9-C2B8H14 (1) led to a series of methyl derivatives and finally to the camouflaging of all boron positions by mixed persubstitution. Thus, deprotonation of 1 produced the [arachno-6,9-C2B8H13] anion (1(-)), the methylation of which with MeI in tetrahydrofuran proceeded on the open-face boron vertexes with the formation of 5-Me-arachno-6,9-C2B8H13 (2; yield 28%) and 5,8-Me2-arachno-6,9-C2B8H12 (3; yield 36%). Observed in this reaction was also a side formation of 2-Me-closo-1,6-C2B8H9 (4; yield 6%).

57Fe NMR spectroscopy of ferrocenes derived from aminoferrocene and 1,1'-diaminoferrocene.

Three series of ferrocenes, derived from aminoferrocene Fc-NH2 and 1,1'-diaminoferrocene fc(NH2)2, were studied by 57Fe NMR spectroscopy. A marked decrease in 57Fe magnetic nuclear shielding with respect to ferrocene is observed if the nitrogen atom becomes part of a pi-acceptor linked to one or both cyclopentadienyl rings. In contrast, pi-donor properties of the amino group(s) affect delta57Fe to a much smaller extent.

Stable exo-nido-metallacarboranes (M = Os(IV)) that incorporate meta-carborane-based dicarbollide ligands.

Reactions of the [K]+ salts of the [nido-7,9-C2B9H12]- anion (2) and its C-phenylated derivative [7-Ph-nido-7,9-C2B9H11]- (4) with [OsCl2(PPh3)3] (3) proceed in benzene at ambient temperature with the formation of 16-electron chlorohydrido-Os(IV) exo-nido complexes, [exo-nido-10,11-{(Ph3P)2OsHCl}-10,11-(mu-H)2-7-R-7,9-C2B9H8] (5: R = H; 6: R = Ph), along with the small amounts of the charge-compensated nido-carboranes [nido-7,9-C2B9H11PPh3] (7) and [7-Ph-nido-7,9-C2B9H10PPh3] (8) as byproducts. However, when carried out under mild heating in ethanol, the reaction of 2 with 3 selectively afforded a 16-electron dihydrido-Os(IV) exo-nido complex [exo-nido-10,11-{(Ph3P)2OsH2}-10,11-(mu-H)2-7,9-C2B9H9] (9). Structures of both complexes 5 and 9 have been confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, which revealed that nido-carboranes in these species function as a bidentate dicarbollide ligands [7-R-nido-7,9-C2B9H10]2- linked to the Os(IV) center via two B-H.

57Fe NMR spectroscopy of ferrocenes bearing pi-acceptor substituents.

Ferrocene derivatives bearing pi-acceptor substituents in 1- or 1,1'-positions such as carbonyl group(s) (1, 2), a sulfinyl group (4) or boryl group(s) (5, 6, 9) and related [3]ferrocenophanes (3, 7, 10, 12, 13) and a [4]ferrocenophane (8) were studied by 57Fe NMR spectroscopy. The deshielding effect of the respective pi-acceptor substituent can be partially or fully compensated by distortion of the ferrocene geometry. Both aspects become apparent by comparing delta57Fe data of the [n]ferrocenophanes with those of related non-cyclic derivatives.

Indirect nuclear 57Fe-13C and 57Fe-1H spin-spin coupling in ferrocenes and cyclopentadienyliron complexes: measurements and DFT calculations.

Several 57Fe-labeled ferrocene derivatives and other cyclopentadienyliron complexes were studied by 57Fe and 13C NMR with respect to isotope-induced chemical shifts 1Delta12/13C(57Fe) and the magnitude and sign of coupling constants 1J(57Fe,13C) and 2J(57Fe,1H). The geometries of the complexes were optimized by DFT methods [B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p)] and chemical shifts (GIAO) and coupling constants were calculated at the same level of theory. The trends in calculated 57Fe nuclear shielding agree well with the experimental data and, in the case of coupling constants 1J(57Fe,13C) and 2J(57Fe,1H), both sign and magnitude are correctly reproduced.

"Electronic lock" in chromiumtricarbonyl complex of cycloheptatrienyltin.

The fast sigmatropic [1,5]-Sn migration in cycloheptatrienyl(triphenyl)tin is effectively locked in the chromiumtricarbonyl complex. A much slower [1,3]-Sn + [1,2]-Cr diatropic rearrangement was detected by spin saturation transfer NMR.

Reaction of alkyn-1-yl(diorganyl)silanes with 1-boraadamantane: Si-H-B bridges confirmed by the molecular structure in the solid state and in solution.

1-Boraadamantane 1 was treated with alkyn-1-ylsilanes 2 containing one or two Si[bond]H functions. Under mild conditions, the reaction gave 4-methylene-3-borahomoadamantane derivatives 4 quantitatively and selectively by 1,1-organoboration. An electron deficient Si-H-B bridge was present in the product.

Formation of two isomeric closo-[(eta5-C5H5)FePC2B8H10] phosphadicarbaborane analogues of ferrocene via isolable eta1-bonded complexes of the [7-[(eta5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2]-(eta1-nido-PC2B8H10)] type.

The reaction of nido-[7,8,9-PC(2)B(8)H(11)] (1) with [[CpFe(CO)(2)](2)] (Cp=eta(5)-C(5)H(5) (-)) in benzene (reflux, 3 days) gave an eta(1)-bonded complex [7-Fp-(eta(1)-nido-7,8,9,-PC(2)B(8)H(10))] (2; Fp=CpFe(CO)(2); yield 38 %). A similar reaction at elevated temperatures (xylene, reflux 24 h) gave the isomeric complex [7-Fp-(eta(1)-nido-7,9,10-PC(2)B(8)H(10))] (3; yield 28 %) together with the fully sandwiched complexes [1-Cp-closo-1,2,4,5-FePC(2)B(8)H(10)] 4 a (yield 30%) and [1-Cp-closo-1,2,4,8-FePC(2)B(8)H(10)] 4 b (yield 5%). Compounds 2 and 3 are isolable intermediates along the full eta(5)-complexation pathway of the phosphadicarbaborane cage; their heating (xylene, reflux, 24 h) leads finally to the isolation of compounds 4 a (yields 46 and 52%, respectively) and 4 b (yields 4 and 5%, respectively).

Two isomeric phosphacarboranes 2,1- and 6,1-PCB(8)H(9), the first representatives of the 10-vertex closo phosphacarborane Series.

The reaction between arachno-4-CB(8)H(14) and PCl(3) in the presence of PS (PS = proton sponge = 1,8-dimethylamino naphthalene) (dichloromethane, rt, 24 h) produced the neutral phosphacarborane closo-2,1-PCB(8)H(9) (35% yield), while a similar reaction of nido-1-CB(8)H(12) gave the isomeric compound closo-6,1-PCB(8)H(9) (27% yield). The structures of both compounds were derived on the basis of the combined ab initio/GIAO/NMR ((1)H, (11)B, (13)C) approach. The optimized structures at a correlated level of theory (MP2) with 6-31G* basis set were used as a basis for calculations of the (11)B and (13)C chemical shifts at GIAO-SCF/II and GIAO-MP2/II, the latter showing excellent agreement with experimental data.

Reactivity of 1,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)-hexa-3-ene-1,5-diynes towards triethylborane, triallylborane, and 1-boraadamantane: first molecular structure of a 4-methylene-3-borahomoadamantane derivative, and the first 6,8-diborabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene derivative.

Compounds (E)- (1) and (Z)-1,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)-hexa-3-ene-1,5-diyne (2) react with triethylborane (3) by 1,1-ethylboration in a 1:1 or 1:2 molar ratio (in the case of 1), whereas in the case of 2 only the 1:1 product is formed. The analogous reactions of 1 or 2 with triallylborane (4) are more complex because of competition between 1,1-allyl- and 1,2-allylboration. Again, compound 2 reacts only with one equivalent of 4.