title: H2 activation by a highly electron-deficient aralkylated organoborane.
abstract: The electron-deficient and sterically bulky trialkylborane derivative tris[bis(pentafluorophenyl)methyl]borane [1, B(CH(C6F5)2)3], has been synthesised and comprehensively characterised; detailed (1)H and (19)F NMR studies reveal two dynamic bond rotational processes in the solution phase. Despite conventional probes (Gutmann-Beckett and Childs methods) implying that the compound has a very limited Lewis acidity, it was used to generate frustrated Lewis pairs capable of heterolytically activating H2 in ethereal solutions, which suggests that the hydridophilicity of 1 is comparable to the potent Lewis acid B(C6F5)3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK. a.ashley@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Herrington
authors.forename: Nicholas H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Andrew J P
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Ashley