Synthesis and Reactivity of the 13-Vertex Metallacarborane Anions [4,4,4-(CO)3-closo-4,1,6-MC2B10H12]- (M = Re, Mn)

Expansion of the (BB) 〉metallacycle with coinage metal cations: formation of B-M-Ru-B (M = Cu, Ag, Au) dimetalacyclodiboryls

In this work, we introduce a novel approach for the selective assembly of heterometallic complexes by unprecedented coordination of coinage metal cations to strained single ruthenium-boron bonds on a surface of icosahedral boron clusters. M(i) cations (M = Cu, Ag, and Au) insert into B-Ru bonds of the (BB)-carboryne complex of ruthenium with the formation of four-membered B-M-Ru-B metalacycles. Results of theoretical calculations suggest that bonding within these metalacycles can be best described as unusual three-center-two-electron B-M···Ru interactions that are isolobal to B-H···Ru borane coordination for M = Cu and Ag, or the pairs of two-center-two electron B-Au and Au-Ru interactions for M = Au. These transformations comprise the first synthetic route to exohedral coinage metal boryl complexes of icosahedral closo-{C2B10} clusters, which feature short Cu-B (2.029(2) Å) and Ag-B (2.182(3) Å) bonds and the shortest Au-B bond (2.027(2) Å) reported to date. The reported heterometallic complexes contain Cu(i) and Au(i) centers in uncharacteristic square-planar coordination environments. These findings pave the way to rational construction of a broader class of multimetallic architectures featuring M-B bonds.

Distorted commo-Cobaltacarboranes Based on the 5,6-Dicarba-nido-decaborane(12): The First Bimetal Cobalt-Copper Zwitterion-Containing Cluster with Four (B-H)4···Cu Bonds Not Showing Fluxional Behavior in Solution

Treatment of a recently reported complex [Ph₄P][closo,nido-CoH(2,4-C₂B₈H₁₀)(7,8-C₂B₈H₁₁)] (1) either by H₂O₂ in acetone or NaH in THF leads to the loss of both the bridging and terminal hydrides yielding the diamagnetic salt of an anionic commo-cobaltacarborane [Ph₄P][Co(2,4-isonido-C₂B₈H₁₀)₂] (2) with the {CoC₂B₈}-cluster units adopting a distorted skeletal geometry of the isonido-type. The anionic commo complex 2 reacts with in situ generated cationic [CuPPh₃]⁺ species to give stable copper-cobalt zwitterion [Ph₃PCu][Co(2,4-isonido-C₂B₈H₁₀)₂] (3) with four two-electron, three-center (B-H)₄···Cu bonds, and exhibits no fluxional behavior in solution. Complex 3, at the same time, in CH₂Cl₂ in the presence of 2-fold excess of PPh₃ readily converts to a new anionic species [(Ph₃P)₃Cu][Co(2,4-isonido-C₂B₈H₁₀)₂] (4) which retains initial isonido geometry. All newly obtained diamagnetic commo complexes were characterized by a combination of analytical and multinuclear NMR spectroscopic data and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of complexes 2 and 3.

Dinuclear copper complexes: coordination of Group 14 heteroborates

The dinuclear copper(i) complex [Cu₂(μ-dmapm)(CH₃CN)₂][BF₄]₂ was reacted with Group 14 heteroborates. Four different coordination motives have been characterized.

Penta- and Hexaruthenium Carbonyl ‘Raft' Complexes Supported by Monocarborane Cage Ligands

Reaction between [PPh4][closo-4-CB8H9] and [Ru3(CO)12] in refluxing toluene affords the unprecedented hexaruthenium metallacarborane salt [PPh4][2,3,7-{Ru(CO)3}-2,6,11-{Ru(CO)3}-7,11,12-{Ru(CO)3}-3,6,12-(micro-H)3-2,2,7,7,11,11-(CO)6-closo-2,7,11,1-Ru3CB8H6] (1a), which contains a planar Ru6 'raft' supported by a {CB8} monocarborane cluster. Addition of [CuCl(PPh3)]4 and Tl[PF6] to a CH2Cl2 solution of 1a results in simple cation replacement, forming the analogous [Cu(PPh3)3]+ salt (1b). The phenyl-substituted monocarborane [NEt4][6-Ph-nido-6-CB9H11] reacts with [Ru3(CO)12] in refluxing 1,2-dimethoxyethane to afford the pentaruthenium cluster species [N(PPh3)2][2,3,7-{Ru(CO)3}-3,4,8-{Ru(CO)3}-7,8-(micro-H)2-1-Ph-2,2,3,3,4,4-(CO)6-hypercloso-2,3,4,1-Ru3CB8H6] (2), after addition of [N(PPh3)2]Cl. Treatment of 2 with [CuCl(PPh3)]4 and Tl[PF6] in CH2Cl2 forms the zwitterionic complex [10,12-{exo-Cu(PPh3)2}-2,3,7-{Ru(CO)3}-3,4,8-{Ru(CO)3}-7,8,10,12-(micro-H)4-1-Ph-2,2,3,3,4,4-(CO)6-hypercloso-2,3,4,1-Ru3CB8H4] (3). Substitution of CO by PPh3 with concomitant cation replacement occurs on introduction of [AuCl(PPh3)], Tl[PF6], and PPh3 to a CH2Cl2 solution of 2, forming [Au(PPh3)2][2,3,7-{Ru(CO)2PPh3}-3,4,8-{Ru(CO)2PPh3}-7,8-(micro-H)2-1-Ph-2,2,3,3,4,4-(CO)6-hypercloso-2,3,4,1-Ru3CB8H6] (4). Crystallographic studies confirmed the cluster architectures in 1b, 2, and 3.

Iridium−Iron−Monocarborane Clusters from Oxidative Insertion Reactions of [IrCl(CO)(PPh3)2] with Ferracarborane Anions

The nine-vertex ferracarborane salt [N(PPh3)2][7,7,7-(CO)3-closo-7,1-FeCB7H8] (1) reacts with an excess of [IrCl(CO)(PPh3)2] in the presence of Tl[PF6] to form, successively, the bimetallic species [7,7,9,9,9-(CO)5-7-PPh3-closo-7,9,1-IrFeCB6H7] (3), in which one {BH}- vertex has formally been subrogated by an {Ir(CO)2(PPh3)} unit, and the trimetallic complex [6,7,9-{Ir(CO)(PPh3)2}-7,9-(mu-H)2-7,9,9-(CO)3-7-PPh3-closo-7,9,1-IrFeCB6H6] (5), which contains an {FeIr2} triangle. The {FeIrCB6} core in 5 resembles that in 3 with, in addition, the Fe...Ir connectivity being spanned by an {Ir(CO)(PPh3)2} fragment and the consequent Fe-Ir and Ir-Ir bonds bridged by hydrido ligands. In contrast to the above, treatment of the 10-vertex diferracarborane salt [N(PPh3)2][6,6,6,10,10,10-(CO)6-closo-6,10, 1-Fe2CB7H8] (2) with the same reagents yields two very different, trimetallic complexes, namely [8,10-{Ir(mu-PPh2)(Ph)(CO)(PPh3)}-8-(mu-H)-6,6,6,10,10-( CO)5-closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7H7] (6) and [6,7,10-{Fe(CO)3}-6-(mu-H)-6,10,10,10-(CO)4-6-PPh3-closo-6,10,1-IrFeCB7H7] (7). In 6, an exo-polyhedral {IrPh(CO)(PPh3)} moiety is attached to a {closo-6,10,1-Fe2CB7} framework via a PPh2-bridged Fe-Ir bond and a B-HIr agostic-type linkage, the iridium center formally having inserted into one P-Ph bond of a PPh3 unit. Complex 7 contains an {IrFeCB7} cluster core, with an exo-polyhedral {Fe(CO)3} moiety bridging a {BIrFe} triangular face and with an additional Ir-H-Fe bridge. However, this metal atom arrangement reveals that iridium and iron moieties have exchanged exo- and endo-polyhedral sites with respect to the 10-vertex metallacarborane. X-ray diffraction studies upon 3, 5, 6, and 7 confirmed their novel structural features; some preliminary reactivity studies upon these compounds are also reported.