Primary Amine Nucleophilic Addition to Nitrilium Closo-Dodecaborate [B12H11NCCH3]-: A Simple and Effective Route to the New BNCT Drug Design

Derivatization of Undecahalogenated closo-Dodecaborates [B12X11NH3]- (X = F-I): Attaching Isocyanate, Amidinium, and Formamide Functionalities

Halogenated closo-dodecaborates are very robust and versatile weakly coordinating anions for numerous applications. The introduction of additional substituents, e.g., pseudohalides, allows the tuning of their chemical and physical properties. In this report, the synthesis of the isocyanate-substituted closo-dodecaborates [B12X11(NCO)]2- (X = H, F-I) was investigated. In an attempt to synthesize the undecahalogenated derivatives, a selective and halogen-dependent reaction yielding boron clusters carrying the functional groups amidinium (-NHCHNMe2) and formamide (-NHC(O)H) was discovered. The halogenated anions were fully characterized by vibrational and NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction. Salts of the formamide-substituted anion [B12X11(NHC(O)H)]2- are surprisingly thermally stable in the condensed phase. In contrast, collision-induced dissociation in the gas phase reveals that the isolated dianion [B12X11(NHC(O)H)]2- in the gas phase preferentially loses water, while the protonated form, which was generated from decomposition of the tetraalkylammonium counterion [B12X11(NHC(O)H)H]-, tends to lose carbon monoxide. Possible reaction mechanisms are discussed.

Synthesis and Structures of Lead(II) Complexes with Substituted Derivatives of the Closo-Decaborate Anion with a Pendant N3 Group

In this work, we studied lead(II) and cobalt(II) complexation of derivatives [2-B10H9O(CH2)2O(CH2)2N3]2- and [2-B10H9O(CH2)5N3]2- of the closo-decaborate anion containing pendant azido groups in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridyl. Mononuclear [PbL2{An}] and binuclear [Pb2L4(NO3)2{An}] lead complexes (where {An} is the N3-substituted boron cluster) were isolated and studied by IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The mononuclear lead(II) complex [Pb(phen)2[B10H9O(CH2)2O(CH2)2N3] and the binuclear lead(II) complex [Pb2(phen)4(NO3)2[B10H9O(CH2)5)N3] were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In complex [Pb2(phen)4(NO3)2[B10H9O(CH2)5)N3], the boron cluster is coordinated by the metal atom only via the 3c2e MHB bonds. In complex [Pb(phen)2[B10H9O(CH2)2O(CH2)2N3], the coordination environment of the metal includes BH groups of the boron cluster and the oxygen atom of the exo-polyhedral substituent. When the reaction was performed in a CH3CN/water mixture, the binuclear lead(II) complex [(Pb(bipy)NO3)(Pb(bipy)2NO3)(B10H9O(CH2)2O(CH2)2N3)]·CH3CN·H2O was isolated, where the boron cluster acts as a bridging ligand between lead atoms coordinated by the boron cage via the O atoms of the substituent and/or the BH groups. In the course of cobalt(II) complexation, the starting compound (Ph4P)2[B10H9O(CH2)5N3] was isolated and its structure was also determined by X-ray diffraction. Although a number of lead(II) complexes with coordinated N3 are known from the literature, no complexes with the boron cluster coordinated by the pendant N3 group involved in the metal coordination have been isolated.

Decaborane: From Alfred Stock and Rocket Fuel Projects to Nowadays

The review covers more than a century of decaborane chemistry from the first synthesis by Alfred Stock to the present day. The main attention is paid to the reactions of the substitution of hydrogen atoms by various atoms and groups with the formation of exo-polyhedral boron-halogen, boron-oxygen, boron-sulfur, boron-nitrogen, boron-phosphorus, and boron-carbon bonds. Particular attention is paid to the chemistry of conjucto-borane anti-[B18H22], whose structure is formed by two decaborane moieties with a common edge, the chemistry of which has been intensively developed in the last decade.

Synthesis of Disubstituted Carboxonium Derivatives of Closo-Decaborate Anion [2,6-B10H8O2CC6H5]-: Theoretical and Experimental Study

A comprehensive study focused on the preparation of disubstituted carboxonium derivatives of closo-decaborate anion [2,6-B10H8O2CC6H5]- was carried out. The proposed synthesis of the target product was based on the interaction between the anion [B10H11]- and benzoic acid C6H5COOH. It was shown that the formation of this product proceeds stepwise through the formation of a mono-substituted product [B10H9OC(OH)C6H5]-. In addition, an alternative one-step approach for obtaining the target derivative is postulated. The structure of tetrabutylammonium salts of carboxonium derivative ((C4H9)4N)[2,6-B10H8O2CC6H5] was established with the help of X-ray structure analysis. The reaction pathway for the formation of [2,6-B10H8O2CC6H5]- was investigated with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This process has an electrophile induced nucleophilic substitution (EINS) mechanism, and intermediate anionic species play a key role. Such intermediates have a structure in which one boron atom coordinates two hydrogen atoms. The regioselectivity for the process of formation for the 2,6-isomer was also proved by theoretical calculations. Generally, in the experimental part, the simple and available approach for producing disubstituted carboxonium derivative was introduced, and the mechanism of this process was investigated with the help of theoretical calculations. The proposed approach can be applicable for the preparation of a wide range of disubstituted derivatives of closo-borate anions.

New Aspects of the Synthesis of closo-Dodecaborate Nitrilium Derivatives [B12H11NCR]− (R = n-C3H7, i-C3H7, 4-C6H4CH3, 1-C10H7): Experimental and Theoretical Studies

The preparation of novel nitrilium derivatives of closo-dodecaborate anion [B12H11NCR]−, R = n-C3H7, i-C3H7, 4-C6H4CH3, 1-C10H7 is described. Target compounds were obtained in good yields (up to 73%). The synthesis of target borylated nitrilium derivatives was characterised by the simplicity of the chemical apparatus and the absence of the necessity for the purification of desired compounds. The crystal structures of previously obtained [B12H11NCCH3]− and novel [B12H11NCC3H7]− were established with the help of X-ray structure analysis. DFT-analysis of several nitrilium derivatives [B12H11NCR]−, R = CH3, C3H7, 4-CH3C6H4 was carried out. The main peculiarities of the C≡N bond of the exo-polyhedral substituent were revealed in terms of bond lengths, bond orders and atomic charges. The LUMO orbitals of the systems considered were examined for understanding of the electrophilic nature of the nitrilium derivatives of the closo-dodecaborate anion.

Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Biodegradable Composites Containing Closo-Borates as Potential Materials for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has been recognized as a very promising approach for cancer treatment. In the case of osteosarcoma, boron-containing scaffolds can be a powerful tool to combine boron delivery to the tumor cells and the repair of postoperative bone defects. Here we describe the fabrication and characterization of novel biodegradable polymer composites as films and 3D-printed matrices based on aliphatic polyesters containing closo-borates (CB) for BNCT. Different approaches to the fabrication of composites have been applied, and the mechanical properties of these composites, kinetics of their degradation, and the release of closo-borate have been studied. The most complex scaffold was a 3D-printed poly(ε-caprolactone) matrix filled with CB-containing alginate/gelatin hydrogel to enhance biocompatibility. The results obtained allowed us to confirm the high potential of the developed composite materials for application in BNCT and bone tissue regeneration.

Protonation of Borylated Carboxonium Derivative [2,6-B10H8O2CCH3]−: Theoretical and Experimental Investigation

The process of protonation of [2,6-B10H8O2CCH3]− was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The most suitable conditions for protonation of the derivative [2,6-B10H8O2CCH3]− were found. The process of protonation was carried out in the presence of an excess of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid CF3SO3H at room temperature in dichloromethane solution. The structure of the resulting complex [2,6-B10H8O2CCH3*Hfac]0 was established using NMR data and the results of DFT calculations. An additional proton atom Hfac was found to be localized on one of the facets that was opposite the boron atom in a substituted position, and which bonded mainly with one apical boron atom. The main descriptors of the B-Hfac bond were established theoretically using QTAIM and NBO approaches. In addition, the mechanism of [2,6-B10H8O2CCH3]− protonation was investigated.

Non-Covalent Interactions in Organic, Organometallic, and Inorganic Supramolecular Systems Relevant for Medicine, Materials Science, and Catalysis

The structure, fundamental properties, and reactivity of chemical systems at various hierarchical levels of organization of matter is the paradigm of chemistry. A qualitative and quantitative description of various intermolecular and intramolecular non-covalent interactions in chemical systems is the main tool for supramolecular design and the driving force of smart prediction of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of chemical reactions. This perspective is dedicated to highlighting the recent progress of our research group in the investigation of various non-covalent contacts in organic, organometallic, and inorganic chemical systems relevant for medicine, materials science, and catalysis. This research is interdisciplinary in nature and lies at the intersection of computer modeling with such natural science disciplines as chemistry, physics, crystallography, biology, and medicine, as well as directly related to materials science and nanotechnology.