Syntheses, Crystallographic/Computational Characterizations, and Reactions of the First 10-Vertex arachno- and nido-Phosphamonocarbaboranes

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 125; no. 1; pp. 200 - 211
• Main Authors: SHEDLOW, Alexandra M., KADLECEK, Daniel E., CLAPPER, Jude C., RATHMILL, Scott E., CARROLL, Patrick J., SNEDDON, Larry G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 08-01-2003
• Subjects: Chemical reactivity; Chemistry; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Organic chemistry; Organic compounds; Organometalloidal and organometallic compounds; Physics; Reactivity and mechanisms; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Structure of specific crystalline solids; Boron 11; Molecular structure; Theoretical study; Thermodynamic stability; NMR spectrometry; Experimental study; Atomic orbital calculations; X ray diffraction; Phosphorus Organic compounds; Density functional method; Phosphorus 31; Boron Organic compounds; Chemical reactivity; Carbon 13; Crystalline structure
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja020944j

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.