Synthesis, structural characterization, and reactions of cyclic organohydroborate half-zirconocene compounds.

Cyclic organohydroborate complexes of zirconium monocyclopentadienyl CpZr[(mu-H)(2)BC(5)H(10)](3), 1, and CpZr[(mu-H)(2)BC(8)H(14)](3), 2, were prepared from the reaction of CpZrCl(3) with 3 mol of K[H(2)BC(5)H(10)] and K[H(2)BC(8)H(10)], respectively, in diethyl ether. Compounds 1 and 2 react with the hydride ion abstracting agent B(C(6)F(5))(3) to form the same salt [CpZr(OEt)(OEt(2))(mu-OEt)](2)[HB(C(6)F(5))(3)](2), 5. The complexes CpZr(Cl)[(mu-H)(2)BC(8)H(14)](2), 3, and CpZr(Cl)[(mu-H)(2)BC(8)H(14)](2) [where Cp = C(5)(CH(3))(5)], 4, were prepared from the reaction of CpZrCl(3) and CpZrCl(3) with K[H(2)BC(8)H(10)] in 1:2 molar ratios, respectively. An alpha-hydrogen of a BC(8)H(14) unit forms an agostic interaction with Zr in compound 3 but not in 4. All of the compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.