Geometries of 11‐Vertex Carborane Monoanion Radicals with 2 n +3 Skeletal Electron Counts

Synthesis and Structure of an o-Carboranyl-Substituted Three-Coordinate Borane Radical Anion

Bis(1-(4-tolyl)-carboran-2-yl)-(4-tolyl)-borane [(1-(4-MeC6 H4 )-closo-1,2-C2 B10 H10 -2-)2 (4-MeC6 H4 )B] (1), a new bis(o-carboranyl)-(R)-borane was synthesised by lithiation of the o-carboranyl precursor and subsequent salt metathesis reaction with (4-tolyl)BBr2 . Cyclic voltammetry experiments on 1 show multiple distinct reduction events with a one-electron first reduction. In a selective reduction experiment the corresponding paramagnetic radical anion 1.- was isolated and characterized. Single-crystal structure analyses allow an in-depth comparison of 1, 1.- , their calculated geometries, and the S1 excited state of 1. Photophysical studies of 1 show a charge transfer (CT) emission with low quantum yield in solution but a strong increase in the solid state. TD-DFT calculations were used to identify transition-relevant orbitals.

Bis(silylene)-Stabilized Monovalent Nitrogen Complexes

The first series of bis(silylene)-stabilized nitrogen(I) compounds is described. Starting from the 1,2-bis(N-heterocyclic silylenyl) 1,2-dicarba-closo-dedocaborane(12) scaffold 1, [1,2-(LSi)2 C2 B10 H10 ; L=PhC(Nt Bu)2 ], reaction with adamantyl azide (AdN3 ) affords the terminal N-μ2 -bridged zwitterionic carborane-1,2-bis(silylium) AdN3 adduct 2 with an open-cage dianionic nido-C2 B10 cluster core. Remarkably, upon one-electron reduction of 2 with C8 K and liberation of N2 and adamantane, the two silylene subunits are regenerated to furnish the isolable bis(silylene)-stabilized NI complex as an anion of 3 with the nido-C2 B10 cluster cage. On the other hand, one-electron oxidation of 2 with silver(I) yields the monocationic bis(silylene) NI complex 4 with the closo-C2 B10 cluster core. Moreover, the corresponding neutral NI radical complex 5 results from single-electron transfer from 3 to 4.