title: A zwitterionic carbanion frustrated by boranes--dihydrogen cleavage with weak Lewis acids via an "inverse" frustrated Lewis pair approach.
abstract: The synthesis, structural characterization, and acid-base chemistry of [C(SiMe2OCH2CH2OMe)3]Na (2), a sterically encumbered zwitterionic organosodium compound, is reported. 2 is a strong Brønsted base that forms frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) with a number of boron-containing Lewis acids ranging from weakly Lewis acidic aryl and alkyl boranes to various alkyl borates. These intermolecular FLPs readily cleave H2, which confirms that even poor Lewis acids can engage in FLP-mediated H2 cleavage provided that the present bulky base is of sufficiently high Brønsted basicity.
authors.affiliation: Texas Tech University , Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Box 41061, Lubbock, Texas 79409-1061, United States.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Adelia J A
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Aquino
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Cordes
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hung-Low
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Hase
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krempner