title: Hypoelectronic isomeric diiridaboranes [(Cp*Ir)2B6H6]: the "Rule-Breakers"(Cp* = η(5)-C5Me5).
abstract: In an effort to synthesize supraicosahedral iridaboranes, pyrolysis of [Cp*IrCl2]2 with excess [BH3·] was carried out, and this synthesis afforded the isomeric iridaborane [(Cp*Ir)2B6H6] clusters 1 and 2. The geometry of 1 was determined to be dodecahedral, i.e., similar to that of [B8H8](2-), whereas 2 was found to exhibit a cluster shape that can be derived from a nine-vertex tricapped trigonal prism by removing one of the capped vertices. The calculation of a large HOMO-LUMO gap further rationalized the isocloso structures for these isomers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. sghosh@iitm.ac.in.
authors.forename: Rosmita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borthakur
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. sghosh@iitm.ac.in.
authors.forename: Bijan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. sghosh@iitm.ac.in.
authors.forename: Purbasha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India. sghosh@iitm.ac.in.
authors.forename: Sundargopal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh