title: Influence of the solvent and R groups on the structure of (carboranyl)R2PI2 compounds in solution. Crystal structure of the first iodophosphonium salt incorporating the anion [7,8-nido-C2B9H10]-.
abstract: The influence of the electron-donor or electron-acceptor capacity of the R groups (R = (i)Pr, Ph, Et) and the solvent on the molecular geometry in solution of adducts of carboranylphosphanes [(carboranyl)(i)Pr2P, (carboranyl)Ph2P and (carboranyl)Et2P] with I2 in 1 : 1 ratios, has been studied in detail by 31P{1H} and 11B{1H} NMR spectroscopies. The more electron-accepting Ph groups make the (carboranyl)Ph2P less nucleophilic, thus stabilizing the I2 encapsulated neutral biscarboranylphosphane-diiodine adducts in solution, such as (carboranyl)Ph2PI-IPPh2(carboranyl), generating P---I-I---P motifs. Even in a polar solvent, such as EtOH, the arrangement is preserved. The expected basicity of these carboranylphosphanes is: (carboranyl)(i)Pr2P > (carboranyl)Et2P > (carboranyl)Ph2P. Thus, the comparatively higher basicity of (carboranyl)Et2P vs. (carboranyl)Ph(2)P facilitates a higher transfer of electron density to the I2 sigma*, generating the ionic species, [(carboranyl)Et2PI]+I-, even in low polar solvents, such as CH2Cl2 and toluene, with no degradation of the cluster. However, in EtOH, the formation of the anionic [7,8-nido-C2B(9)H10]- cluster takes place by removal of one boron atom from the closo cluster. The basicity of (carboranyl)(i)Pr(2)P should be the highest, superior to (carboranyl)Et2P. This is observed in the reaction of these carboranylphosphanes with I(2) in EtOH. Whereas the formation of P four-coordinated molecular "spoke" charge-transfer complexes, (carboranyl)(i)Pr2P-I-I, are suggested for (carboranyl)(i)Pr2P in low polarity solvents, ionic species are formed in ethanolic solutions, which deboronate in a few days, faster than (carboranyl)Et2P, to yield the zwitterionic species. This is attributed to the higher basicity of (carboranyl)(i)Pr2P vs. (carboranyl)Et2P. The X-ray crystal structure of [7-PI(i)Pr2-8-Ph-7,8-nido-C2B9H10], 2c, obtained from the reaction of 1-P(i)Pr2-2-Ph-closo-1,2-closo-C2B10H10 with I(2) in EtOH, confirms the formation of the zwitterion. These results prove that minor changes in the nature of the R substituents on the P atom in carboranylphosphanes, along with the solvent in which the reaction takes place, produce major alterations in the geometry of the (carboranyl)R2P-I-I species in solution, and in their possible further reactivity.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus de la U.A.B., E-08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Teixidor
authors.forename: Raikko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kivekäs
authors.forename: Reijo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sillanpää
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viñas