title: Reversible water activation driven by contraction and expansion of a 12-vertex-closo-12-vertex-nido biscarborane cluster.
abstract: The activation of O-H bonds of water at room temperature driven by the cage-opening rearrangement of a biscarborane-based cluster is reported. The reaction of the 12-vertex-closo-12-vertex-nido biscarborane cluster with water led to the quantitative and selective two-vertex decapitation of a carborane cluster and formation of the pendent boronic acid hydride B(H)(OH) group. Remarkably, this transformation can be quantitatively reversed with the release of water and re-formation of the starting biscarborane cage. The flexibility of cage decapitation/expansion and its influence on the reactivity of an exohedral substituent represent a new approach to cluster-induced organic transformations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA. peryshkov@sc.edu.
authors.forename: Yuen Onn
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA. peryshkov@sc.edu.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, 631 Sumter St., Columbia, SC 29208, USA. peryshkov@sc.edu.
authors.forename: Dmitry V
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5653-9502
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Peryshkov