Dimethylsulfide-dicarbaborane chemistry. Isolation and characterisation of isomers [9-(SMe2)-nido-7,8-C2B9H10-X-Me] (where X = 1, 2, 3 and 4) and some related compounds. An unusual skeletal rearrangement

Abstract

Oxidative coupling by FeCl(3) of the [nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(11)-9-Me](-) anion 1a with SMe(2) yields a mixture of four isomers of 9-(SMe(2))-nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(10)-X-Me, where X = 1, 2, 3 and 4 (compounds 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d respectively). On high dilution of the reaction mixture, the 9-(SMe(2))-nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(10)-10-Me 2e isomer is also isolated in a low yield. The isomers are separated by HPLC, and are identified and characterised by NMR spectroscopy and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of 2c and 2d. The formation of the products implies an unexpected cluster rearrangement, which is discussed in terms of dsd and vertex-flip reaction pathways. Two additional isomers, 9-(SMe(2))-nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(10)-5-Me 2f and 9-(SMe(2))-nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(10)-6-Me 2g occur when [nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(11)-5-Me](-) 1b is used as the starting substrate, in a reaction in which no cluster rerarrangement is observed. The corresponding bromide, [nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(11)-5-Br](-) 1c, behaves similarly, forming only 9-(SMe(2))-nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(10)-5-Br 2h and 9-(SMe(2))-nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(10)-6-Br 2i.