Syntheses and structural and electrochemical characterizations of vanadatricarbadecaboranyl analogues of vanadocene and the structural characterization of the [Li(CH(3)CN)2+](6-CH(3)-nido-5,6,9-C(3)B(7)H(9-) tricarbadecaboranyl anion

Design of a catalyst through Fe doping of the boron cage B10H14 for CO2 hydrogenation and investigation of the catalytic character of iron hydride (Fe-H)

The innovative catalyst Fe@B₁₀H₁₄ is designed through Fe doping of the boron cage B₁₀H₁₄ and is employed to catalyze CO₂ hydrogenation using a quantum mechanical method. First, the structure of the Fe@B₁₀H₁₄ complex is characterized through calculated ¹¹B NMR chemical shifts and Raman spectra, and the interactions between Fe and the four H atoms of the opening in the cage are analyzed, which show that various iron hydride (Fe-H) characteristics exist. Subsequently, the potential of Fe@B₁₀H₁₄ as a catalyst for the hydrogenative reduction of CO₂ in the gas phase is computationally evaluated. We find that an equivalent of Fe@B₁₀H₁₄ can consecutively reduce double CO₂ to obtain the double product HCOOH through a two-step reduction, and Fe@B₁₀H₁₂ and Fe@B₁₀H₁₀ are successively obtained. The Fe presents single-atom character in the reduction of CO₂, which is different from the common iron(ii) catalyzed CO₂ reduction. The calculated total free energy barrier of the first CO₂ reduction is only 8.79 kcal mol^-1, and that of the second CO₂ reduction is 25.71 kcal mol^-1. Every reduction reaction undergoes two key transition states TSC-H and TSO-H. Moreover, the transition state of the C-H bond formation TSC-H is the rate-determining step, where the interaction between π_{C[double bond, length as m-dash]O}* and the weak σ_Fe-H bond plays an important role. Furthermore, the hydrogenations of Fe@B₁₀H₁₂ and Fe@B₁₀H₁₀ are investigated, which aim at determining the ability of Fe-H circulation in the Fe doped decaborane complex. We find that the hydrogenation of Fe@B₁₀H₁₀ undergoes a one-step H₂-adsorbed transition state TSH-adsorb with an energy barrier of 6.42 kcal mol^-1 from Fe@B₁₀H₁₂. Comparing with the hydrogenation of Fe@B₁₀H₁₀, it is slightly more difficult for the hydrogenation of Fe@B₁₀H₁₂, where the rate-determining step is the H₂-cleaved transition state TS2H-H with an energy barrier of 17.38 kcal mol^-1.

Designing nonlinear optical molecule by incorporating the planar tetracoordinate unit NAl4- or CAl42- into decaborane B10H14

Molecular Incorporation is an important approach of providing novel compounds with fascinating structures. In this paper, we theoretically described the incorporation of the central planar tetracoordinate molecules NAl 4- or CAl 42- into borane cluster B 10 H 14. By molecular orbital analysis, a novel four-fold Al – H bonding interaction was found, and it contributes to the molecular incorporation. In addition, we found that the counterion Li + is critical for the neutral incorporation species, due to its small atomic radii and little positive charge. To measure the nonlinear optical (NLO) response, the static first hyperpolarizabilities (β0) were evaluated at the second-order Møller–Plesset (MP2) level. The β0 values are 1708 a.u and 8682 a.u for [ B 10 H 14⋯ NAl 4]- and [ B 10 H 14⋯ CAl 4]2-, respectively, which indicates that the charge plays a significant role on deciding the value of β0. Moreover, it is different for the change of β0 value brought by counterion Li +. Li + decreases the β0 value of [ B 10 H 14⋯ CAl 4]2-, while it increases the β0 value of [ B 10 H 14⋯ NAl 4]-, therein, the sandwich-like B 10 H 14– Li – NAl 4( I ) exhibits considerable β0 value (31,253 a.u.). This reveals that it is possible to explore high-performance NLO materials based on suitable molecular incorporation. Besides, the present study is also expected to enrich the knowledge of the planar tetracoordinate carbon chemistry and boron chemistry.

Syntheses and structural characterizations of inorganic ansa-metallocene analogues: ansa-ferratricarbadecaboranes

New linked cyclopentadienyl-tricarbadecaboranyl and bis-tricarbadecaboranyl dianions have been used to form the first examples of ansa-metallatricarbadecaboranyl complexes. The hybrid cyclopentadienyl-tricarbadecaboranyl dianion, Li2(+)[6-C5H4-(CH2)2-nido-5,6,9-C3B7H9](2-) (1), was produced by an initial carbon-insertion reaction of a nitrile-substituted cyclopentadiene with the arachno-4,6-C2B7H12(-) anion, followed by deprotonation to the dianion with LiH. The linked-cage bis-tricarbadecaboranyl dianion, Li2(+)[6,6'-(CH2)2-nido-(5,6,9-C3B7H9)2](2-) (2), was produced by a similar carbon-insertion route involving the reaction of two equivalents of arachno-4,6-C2B7H12(-) with succinonitrile. The reaction of 1 with an equivalent of FeCl2 produced the hybrid complex, ansa-(2-(CH2)2)-(1-η(5)-C5H4-closo-1,2,3,4-C3B7H9)Fe (3), with a crystallographic determination confirming the formation of a sandwich structure where the ring and cage are linked by the ansa -CH2CH2- group with attachment to the cage at the C2 carbon. The reaction of 2 with FeCl2 produced three isomeric ansa-(CH2)2-ferrabistricarbadecaboranyl sandwich complexes, ansa-(CH2)2-(closo-C3B7H9)2Fe (4, 5 and 6). Crystallographic determinations showed that in 4, the two tricarbadecaboranyl ligands are linked by the ansa-CH2CH2- group at the C2 and C2' cage carbons, whereas in 5 and 6 they are linked at their C2 and C4' carbons, with the structures of 5 and 6 differing in the relative positions of the C4' carbons in the two cages of each complex. The structural determinations also showed that, depending upon the linking position of the ansa-tether, constraints in cage-orientation, such as observed in 4, produce unfavorable intercage steric interactions. However, the cage fragments in these complexes can readily undergo a cage-carbon migration that moves one -carbon and its tether linkage to the more favorable 4-position. This isomerization reduces the cage steric interactions and produces configurations, such as those found for 5 and 6, where the iron cage bonding is enhanced as a result of the binding effect of the tether.

Quantum mechanical design and structure of the Li@B10H14 basket with a remarkably enhanced electro-optical response

An innovative type of lithium decahydroborate (Li@B(10)H(14)) complex with a basketlike complexant of decaborane (B(10)H(14)) has been designed using quantum mechanical methods. As Li atom binds in a handle fashion to terminal electrophilic boron atoms of the decaborane basket, its NBO charge q (Li) is found to be 0.876, close to +1. This shows that the Li atom has been ionized to form a cation and an anion at the open end of B(10)H(14). The most fascinating feature of this Li doping is its loosely bound valence electron, which has been pulled into the cavity of the B(10)H(14) basket and become diffuse by the electron-deficient morphological features of the open end of the B(10)H(14) basket. Strikingly, the first hyperpolarizability (beta(0)) of Li@B(10)H(14) is about 340 times larger than that of B(10)H(14), computed to be 23,075 au (199 x 10(-30) esu) and 68 au, respectively. Besides this, the intercalation of the Li atom to the B(10)H(14) basket brings some distinctive changes in its Raman, (11)B NMR, and UV-vis spectra along with its other electronic properties that might be used by the experimentalists to identify this novel kind of Li@B(10)H(14) complex with a large electro-optical response. This study may evoke the possibility to explore a new thriving area, i.e., alkali metal-boranes for NLO application.

Chemistry of Mangana- and Rhenatricarbadecaboranyl Tricarbonyl Complexes: Evidence for an Associative Mechanism of Ligand Substitution Involving an η6−η4 Cage-Slippage Process Analagous to η5−η3-Cyclopentadienyl Ring-Slippage

The reaction of the tricarbadecaboranyl anion, 6-Ph-nido-5,6,9-C(3)B(7)H(9)(-), with M(CO)(5)Br [M = Mn, Re] or [(eta(6)-C(10)H(8))Mn(CO)(3)(+)]BF(4)(-) yielded the half-sandwich metallatricarbadecaboranyl analogues of (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))M(CO)(3) [M = Mn, Re]. For both 1,1,1-(CO)(3)-2-Ph-closo-1,2,3,4-MC(3)B(7)H(9) [M = Mn (2) and Re (3)], the metal is eta(6)-coordinated to the puckered six-membered open face of the tricarbadecaboranyl cage. Reactions of 2 and 3 with isocyanide at room temperature produced complexes 8-(CNBu(t))-8,8,8-(CO)(3)-9-Ph-nido-8,7,9,10-MC(3)B(7)H(9) [M = Mn (4), Re (5)], having the cage eta(4)-coordinated to the metal. Photolysis of 4 and 5 then resulted in the loss of CO and the formation of 1-(CNBu(t))-1,1-(CO)(2)-2-Ph-closo-1,2,3,4-MC(3)B(7)H(9) [M = Mn, Re (6)], where the cage is again eta(6)-coordinated to the metal. Reaction of 2 and 3 with 1 equiv of phosphine at room temperature produced the eta(6)-coordinated monosubstituted complexes 1,1-(CO)(2)-1-P(CH(3))(3)-2-Ph-closo-1,2,3,4-MC(3)B(7)H(9) [M = Mn (7), Re (9)] and 1,1-(CO)(2)-1-P(C(6)H(5))(3)-2-Ph-closo-1,2,3,4-MC(3)B(7)H(9) [M = Mn (8), Re (10)]. NMR studies of these reactions at -40 degrees C showed that substitution occurs by an associative mechanism involving the initial formation of intermediates having structures similar to those of the eta(4)-complexes 4 and 5. The observed eta(6)-eta(4) cage-slippage is analogous to the eta(5)-eta(3) ring-slippage that has been proposed to take place in related substitution reactions of cyclopentadienyl-metal complexes. Reaction of 9 with an additional equivalent of P(CH(3))(3) gave 8,8-(CO)(2)-8,8-(P(CH(3))(3))(2)-9-Ph-nido-8,7,9,10-ReC(3)B(7)H(9) (11), where the cage is eta(4)-coordinated to the metal. Photolysis of 11 resulted in the loss of CO and the formation of the disubstituted eta(6)-complex 1-CO-1,1-(P(CH(3))(3))(2)-2-Ph-closo-1,2,3,4-ReC(3)B(7)H(9) (12).

Syntheses of Functionalized Ferratricarbadecaboranyl Complexes

The reactions of nitriles (RCN) with arachno-4,6-C(2)B(7)H(12)(-) provide a general route to functionalized tricarbadecaboranyl anions, 6-R-nido-5,6,9-C(3)B(7)H(9)(-), R = C(6)H(5) (2(-)), NC(CH(2))(4) (4(-)), (p-BrC(6)H(4))(Me(3)SiO)CH (6(-)), C(14)H(11) (8(-)), and H(3)BNMe(2)(CH(2))(2) (10(-)). Further reaction of these anions with (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)I yields the functionalized ferratricarbadecaboranyl complexes 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-C(6)H(5)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (3), 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-NC(CH(2))(4)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (5), 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-[(p-BrC(6)H(4))(Me(3)SiO)CH]-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (7), 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-C(14)H(11)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (9), and 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-H(3)BNMe(2)(CH(2))(2)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (11). Reaction of 11 with DABCO (triethylenediamine) resulted in removal of the BH(3) group coordinated to the nitrogen of the side chain, giving 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-NMe(2)(CH(2))(2)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (12). Crystallographic studies of complexes 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 confirmed that these complexes are ferrocene analogues in which a formal Fe(2+) ion is sandwiched between the cyclopentadienyl and tricarbadecaboranyl monoanionic ligands. The metals are eta(6)-coordinated to the puckered six-membered face of the tricarbadecaboranyl cage, with the exopolyhedral substituents bonded to the low-coordinate carbon adjacent to the iron.

Cytotoxicity and mode of action of vanada- and niobatricarbadecaboranyl monohalide complexes in human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells

Vanada- and niobatricarbadecaboranyl monohalide complexes proved to be potent cytotoxic agents against murine and human leukemia and lymphoma growth as well as HeLa suspended uterine carcinoma. The vanada complex reduced the growth of KB nasopharynx, Hepe liver, HCT-8 ileum and 1-A9 ovary solid carcinomas. A mode of action study in human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells showed that DNA and purine de novo syntheses were significantly inhibited with suppression of the regulatory enzymes activities of DNA polymerase alpha and PRPP-amido transferase. There was moderate inhibition of RNA synthesis and m-RNA polymerase activity. These complexes did not inhibit human topoisomerase I or II activity, although the niobium complex nicked the DNA. The complexes did activate caspases 3, 6 and 9 which are linked to apoptosis programmed cell death. These vanada- and niobatricarbadecaboranyl monohalide complexes appear to be more specific in their effects on leukemia cell metabolism than other sandwich complexes which have broad effects on multiple enzymes.

Syntheses, crystallographic/computational characterizations, and reactions of the first 10-vertex arachno- and nido-phosphamonocarbaboranes

A synthetic sequence involving the initial reaction of a substituted phosphorus dihalide (RPCl(2), R = CH(3), C(6)H(5)) with the arachno-CB(8)H(13)(-) (1-) monoanion followed by an in situ dehydrohalogenation reaction initiated by Proton Sponge, resulted in phosphorus cage insertion to yield the first 10-vertex arachno- and nido-phosphamonocarbaboranes, exo-6-R-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(12) (2a, 2b) and PSH(+)6-R-nido-6,9-PCB(8)H(9)(-) (PSH+3a-, PSH+3b-) (R = C(6)H(5) (a), CH(3) (b)). Alternatively, 2a and 2b were synthesized in high yield as the sole product of the reaction of the arachno-4-CB(8)H(12)(2-) (1(2-)) dianion with RPCl(2). Crystallographic determinations of PSH+3a- and PSH+3b- in conjunction with DFT/GIAO computational studies of the anions have confirmed the expected nido cage framework based on an octadecahedron missing the six-coordinate vertex. DFT/GIAO computational studies have also shown that while the gross cage geometries of the exo-6-R-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(12) compounds 2a and 2b resemble the known isoelectronic arachno-6,9-SCB(8)H(12), the phosphorus and carbon atoms are in thermodynamically unfavorable adjacent positions on the six-membered puckered face. They also each have an endo-hydrogen at the P6-position arising from proton transfer to the basic phosphorus during the cage-insertion reaction. Possible stepwise reaction pathways that can account for the formation of both the arachno and nido products are discussed. Deprotonation of 2a and 2b resulted in the formation of their corresponding conjugate monoanions, 6-R-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(11)(-) (2a-, 2b-), in which the proton that had been attached to the P6 atom was removed. Reactions of 2a- with O(2), S(8), BH(3).THF, or Br(2) further demonstrated the basicity of the P6-phosphorus yielding the new arachno-substituted compounds, endo-6-O-exo-6-(C(6)H(5))-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(11)(-) (4a-), endo-6-S-exo-6-(C(6)H(5))-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(11)(-) (5a-), endo-6-BH(3)-exo-6-(C(6)H(5))-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(11)(-) (6a-), and endo-6-Br-exo-6-(C(6)H(5))-arachno-6,7-PCB(8)H(11) (7a), respectively, in which the O, S, BH(3), and Br substituents are bound to the phosphorus at the endo position.