Fusing 10-vertex -carborane anions with N-heterocyclic carbenes.

Discovered by Knöth in 1964, the 10-vertex -carborane anion [HCBH] is a classical bicapped square antiprism that contains an unusual pentacoordinate carbon center. Compared to its larger icosahedral cousin [HCBH], few investigations have been made into its use as a weakly coordinating anion or as a ligand substituent. Here we show that it is possible to prepare both a dianionic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) Li adduct as well as a trianionic C-2, C-5 dilithio species featuring two 10-vertex carborane anion substituents.

Strongly Coordinating Ligands To Form Weakly Coordinating Yet Functional Organometallic Anions.

Weakly coordinating anions (WCAs) are generally tailored to act as spectators with little or no function. Here we describe the implementation of strongly coordinating dianionic carboranyl N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) to create organometallic -ate complexes of Au(I) that serve both as WCAs and functional catalysts. These organometallic WCAs can be utilized to form both heterobimetallic (Au(I)/Ag(I); Au(I)/Ir(I)) and organometallic/main group ion pairs (Au(I)/(CPh or SiEt).

Below the 12-vertex: 10-vertex carborane anions as non-corrosive, halide free, electrolytes for rechargeable Mg batteries.

The development of practical Mg based batteries is limited by the lack of a library of suitable electrolytes. Recently a 12-vertex closo-carborane anion based electrolyte has been shown to be the first electrolyte for Mg based batteries, which is both non-corrosive and has high electrochemical stability (+3.5 V vs.

Dehydrogenation of icosahedral carborane anions via gas-phase collisional activation.

Rationale: The icosahedral carborane anion HCB H is well known for its exceptional stability in solution and the solid state, but the gas-phase properties of this molecule have not previously been explored.

Methods: Electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry, collisional activation, and isotopic labelling were used to examine the formation and reaction pathways of covalent and noncovalent carborane clusters.

Results: Covalent attachment of an amino group to the C-vertex of HCB H dramatically alters its stability in the gas phase.

Inductive effects of 10 and 12-vertex closo-carborane anions: cluster size and charge make a difference.

A phosphine containing a 10-vertex carborane anion substituent and its subsequent ligation to a Rh(I) carbonyl complex is reported. The complex is characterized by NMR spectroscopy and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. In addition, the inductive effects of both 10 and 12 vertex C-functionalized closo-carborane anions are elucidated via I.