Controlled homocatenation of boron on a transition metal.
Only a handful of elements are able to be controllably homocatenated (that is, to be formed into one- or two-dimensional chains or rings of the element), because most have weak element-element bonds. Boron forms strong B-B bonds, but its favourable cluster formation makes homocatenation very difficult. Recently, the coupling of borylene (:BR) ligands on a metal was predicted computationally. We have brought this prediction to fruition experimentally, and extended it by adding two further borylene units, stepwise forming a B(4) chain bound to a metal under mild conditions. This complex is a useful model for understanding the metal-boron interactions required to promote transition of the boron atoms from borylene ligands to oligoborane networks bound side-on. The concept shows great promise for the controlled construction of one-dimensional boron chains.
Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany. h.braunschweig@uni-wuerzburg.de
Holger
H
Braunschweig
Qing
Q
Ye
Alfredo
A
Vargas
Rian D
RD
Dewhurst
Krzysztof
K
Radacki
Alexander
A
Damme
D001895:Boron / Q000737:chemistry*; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D011789:Quantum Theory; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000737:chemistry*
D056831:Coordination Complexes; D028561:Transition Elements; D007501:Iron; D001895:Boron