title: Metal-free binding and coupling of carbon monoxide at a boron-boron triple bond.
abstract: Many metal-containing compounds, and some metal-free compounds, will bind carbon monoxide. However, only a handful of metal-containing compounds have been shown to induce the coupling of two or more CO molecules, potentially a method for the use of CO as a one-carbon-atom building block for the synthesis of organic molecules. In this work, CO was added to a boron-boron triple bond at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, resulting in a compound into which four equivalents of CO are incorporated: a flat, bicyclic, bis(boralactone). By the controlled addition of one CO to the diboryne compound, an intermediate in the CO coupling reaction was isolated and structurally characterized. Electrochemical measurements confirm the strongly reducing nature of the diboryne compound.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Braunschweig
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dellermann
authors.forename: Rian D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dewhurst
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Ewing
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hammond
authors.forename: J Oscar C
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Halla
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Krummenacher
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mies
authors.forename: Ashwini K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Phukan
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vargas
mesh_terms: D001895:Boron / Q000737:chemistry*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D001895:Boron