Rhodium-catalyzed dehydrocoupling of fluorinated phosphine-borane adducts: synthesis, characterization, and properties of cyclic and polymeric phosphinoboranes with electron-withdrawing substituents at phosphorus.

The dehydrocoupling of the fluorinated secondary phosphine-borane adduct R2PH.BH3 (R = p-CF3C6H4) at 60 degrees C is catalyzed by the rhodium complex [{Rh(mu-Cl)(1,5-cod)}2] to give the four-membered chain R2PH-BH2-R2P-BH3. A mixture of the cyclic trimer [R2P-BH2]3 and tetramer [R2P-BH2]4 was obtained from the same reaction at a more elevated temperature of 100 degrees C.

Highly metallized polymers: synthesis, characterization, and lithographic patterning of polyferrocenylsilanes with pendant cobalt, molybdenum, and nickel cluster substituents.

High molecular weight, soluble, air- and moisture-stable, highly metallized (>25 wt% metal) polyferrocenylsilanes (PFS) [Fe(eta-C5H4)2Si(Me){Co2(CO)6C2Ph}]n (Co-PFS), [Fe(eta-C5H4)2Si(Me){Mo2-Cp2(CO)4C2Ph}]n (Mo-PFS), and [Fe(eta-C5H4)2Si(Me){Ni2Cp2C2Ph}]n (Ni-PFS) containing pendant cobalt, molybdenum, and nickel clusters, respectively, have been prepared via macromolecular clusterization of an acetylide-substituted PFS [Fe(eta-C5H4)2Si(Me)C(triple bond)CPh]n with [Co(2)(CO)8], [{MoCp(CO)(2)}2], or [{NiCp(CO)}2]. The extent of clusterization achieved was in the range of 70-75%. All three highly metallized polymers were demonstrated to function as negative-tone resists in electron-beam lithography, while Co-PFS and Mo-PFS were successfully patterned by UV-photolithography, allowing the fabrication of micron-sized bars, dots, and lines.