LiB12PC, the first boron-rich metal boride with phosphorus--synthesis, crystal structure, hardness, spectroscopic investigations.

We present synthesis, crystal structure, hardness, and IR/Raman and UV/Vis spectra of a new compound with the mean composition LiB(12)PC. Transparent single crystals were synthesised from Ga, Li, B, red phosphorus and C at 1500 °C in boron nitride crucibles welded in Ta ampoules. Depending on the type of boron used for the synthesis we obtained colourless, brown and red single crystals with slightly different P/C ratios.

Binary boron-rich borides of magnesium: single-crystal investigations and properties of MgB(7) and the new boride Mg(∼5)B(44).

Single crystals of dark-red MgB(7) were grown from the elements in a Cu-melt. The crystal structure (Pearson symbol oI64; space group Imma; a = 10.478(2) Å, b = 5.

Synthesis, characterization, and crystal structures of silylium compounds of the weakly coordinating dianion [B(12)Cl(12)](2-).

The reaction of [Ph(3)C](2)[B(12)Cl(12)] with R(3)SiH (R = Me, Et, iPr) in 1,2-difluorobenzene yielded the corresponding silylium compounds (R(3)Si)(2)B(12)Cl(12) containing the weakly coordinating dianion [B(12)Cl(12)](2-). The products were fully characterized by IR and Raman spectroscopy and by multinuclear ((1)H, (11)B, (13)C, (29)Si) NMR spectroscopy in solution and the solid state (magic angle spinning). (Et(3)Si)(2)B(12)Cl(12) and (iPr(3)Si)(2)B(12)Cl(12) were characterized by X-ray diffraction.