Bulky Polyfluorinated Terphenyldiphenylboranes: Water Tolerant Lewis Acids

A Highly Sterically Encumbered Boron Lewis Acid Enabled by an Organotellurium-Based Ligand

Lewis acidic boron compounds are ubiquitous in chemistry due to their numerous applications, yet tuning and optimizing their properties towards different purposes is still a challenging field of research. In this work, the boron-based Lewis acid B[OTeF3(C6F5)2]3 was synthesized by reaction of the teflate derivative HOTeF3(C6F5)2 with BCl3 or BCl3 ⋅ SMe2. This new compound presents a remarkably high thermal stability up to 300 °C, as well as one of the most sterically encumbered boron centres known in the literature. Theoretical and experimental methods revealed that B[OTeF3(C6F5)2]3 exhibits a comparable Lewis acidity to that of the well-known B(C6F5)3. The affinity of B[OTeF3(C6F5)2]3 towards pyridine was accessed by Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) and compared to that of B(OTeF5)3 and B(C6F5)3. The ligand-transfer reactivity of this new boron compound towards different fluorides was demonstrated by the formation of an anionic Au(III) complex and a hypervalent iodine(III) species.

Unraveling Reactivity Pathways: Dihydrogen Activation and Hydrogenation of Multiple Bonds by Pyramidalized Boron-Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs

The activation of H2 by pyramidalized boron-based frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs) (B/E-FLP systems where "E" refers to N, P, As, Sb, and Bi) have been explored using density functional theory (DFT) based computational study. The activation pathway for the entire process is accurately characterized through the utilization of the activation strain model (ASM) of reactivity, shedding light on the underlying physical factors governing the process. The study also explores the hydrogenation process of multiple bonds with the help of B/N-FLP. The research findings demonstrate that the liberation of activated dihydrogen occurs in a synchronized, albeit noticeably asynchronous, fashion. The transformation is extensively elucidated using the activation strain model and the energy decomposition analysis. This approach suggests a co-operative double hydrogen-transfer mechanism, where the B-H hydride triggers a nucleophilic attack on the carbon atom of the multiple bonds, succeeded by the migration of the protic N-H.

The Field of Main Group Lewis Acids and Lewis Superacids: Important Basics and Recent Developments

New developments in the field of Lewis acidity are highlighted, with the focus of novel Lewis acids and Lewis superacids of group 2, 13, 14, and 15 elements. Several important basics, illustrated by modern examples (classification of Donor-Acceptor (DA) complexes, amphoteric nature of any compound in terms of DA interactions, reorganization energies of main group Lewis acids and the role of the energies of frontier orbitals) are presented and discussed. It is emphasized that the Lewis acidity phenomena are general and play vital role in different areas of chemistry: from weak "atomophilic" interactions to the complexes of Lewis superacids.

Hydrogen Activation by Frustrated and Not So Frustrated Lewis Pairs Based on Pyramidal Lewis Acid 9-Boratriptycene: A Computational Study

Structural features and reactivity of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) formed by pyramidal group 13 Lewis acids based on 9-bora and 9-alatriptycene and bulky phosphines P ^t Bu₃, PPh₃, and PCy₃ are considered at the M06-2X/def2-TZVP level of theory. Classic FLP is formed only in the B(C₆Me₄)₃CH/P ^t Bu₃ system, while both FLP and donor-acceptor (DA) complex are observed in the B(C₆F₄)₃CF/P ^t Bu₃ system. Formation of DA complexes was observed in other systems; the B(C₆H₄)₃CH·P ^t Bu₃ complex features an elongated DA bond and can be considered a "latent" FLP. Transition states and reaction pathways for molecular hydrogen activation have been obtained. Processes of heterolytic hydrogen splitting are energetically more favored in solution compared to the gas phase, while activation energies in the gas phase and in solution are close. The alternative processes of hydrogenation of B-C or Al-C bonds in the source pyramidal Lewis acids in the absence of a Lewis base are exergonic but have larger activation energies than those for heterolytic hydrogen splitting. The tuning of Lewis acidity of 9-boratriptycene by changing the substituents allows one to control its reactivity with respect to hydrogen activation. Interestingly, the most promising system from the practical point of view is the DA complex B(C₆H₄)₃CH·P ^t Bu₃, which is predicted to provide both low activation energy and thermodynamic reversibility of the heterolytic hydrogen splitting process. It appears that such "not so frustrated" or "latent" FLPs are the best candidates for reversible heterolytic hydrogen splitting.

Influence of the solvent on the Lewis acidity of antimony pentahalides and group 13 Lewis acids toward acetonitrile and pyridine

Energetic effects of solvation of SbF₅ , SbCl₅ , and 21 group 13 Lewis acids (LA) and their molecular complexes with acetonitrile and pyridine are evaluated using SMD approach. Compared to the gas phase, solvation increases the stability of boron- and aluminum-containing complexes but decreases the stability of gallium and indium-containing homologs due to larger solation energies of free LA. New Lewis acidity scales, based on the Gibbs energy of dissociation of the molecular complexes LA·pyridine and LA·acetonitrile in the gas phase, in benzene and acetonitrile solutions, are proposed.

A strongly Lewis-acidic and fluorescent borenium cation supported by a tridentate formazanate ligand

Lewis acids are highly sought after for their applications in sensing, small-molecule activation, and catalysis. When combined with π-conjugated molecular frameworks, Lewis acids with unique optoelectronic properties can be realized. Here, we use a tridentate formazanate ligand to create a planar, redox-active, fluorescent, and strongly Lewis-acidic borenium cation. We also demonstrate that this compound can act as a colourimetric probe for reactivity.

Bulky Polyfluorinated Terphenyldiphenylboranes: Water Tolerant Lewis Acids

Protocols for the synthesis of the bulky polyfluorinated triarylboranes 2,6‐(C₆F₅)₂C₆F₃B(C₆F₅)₂ (1), 2,6‐(C₆F₅)₂C₆F₃B[3,5‐(CF₃)₂C₆H₃] (2), 2,4,6‐(C₆F₅)₃C₆H₂B(C₆F₅)₂ (3), 2,4,6‐(C₆F₅)₃C₆H₂B[3,5‐(CF₃)₂C₆H₃] (4) were developed. All boranes are water tolerant and according to the Gutmann‐Beckett method, 1–3 display Lewis acidities larger than that of the prominent B(C₆F₅)₃.