Macropolyhedral boron-containing cluster chemistry: isolation and characterization of twenty-one-vertex [(PMe2Ph)3HReB20H15Ph(PHMe2)]

Abstract

Reaction of B20H16 with [ReH5(PMe2Ph)3]yields the twenty-one-vertex metallaborane [(PMe2Ph)3HReB20H15Ph-(PHMe2)] which consists of a closo twelve-vertex {B12} unit and a nido eleven-vertex {B11} unit fused with a common triangular face, with the {(PMe2Ph)3HRe} moiety capping exo to the nido {B11} unit with three Re–H–B bonds; an unusual reductive P-phenyl cleavage of a PMe2Ph moiety to give B-pendant exo PHMe2 and exo Ph moieties on the open face of the eleven-vertex subcluster is also apparent.