Macropolyhedral boron-containing cluster chemistry: isolation and characterization of twenty-one-vertex [(PMe2Ph)3HReB20H15Ph(PHMe 2)

Abstract

Reaction of B 20 H 16 with [ReH 5 (PMe 2 Ph) 3 ] yields the twenty-one-vertex metallaborane [(PMe 2 Ph) 3 HReB 20 H 15 Ph- (PHMe 2 )] which consists of a closo twelve-vertex {B 12 } unit and a nido eleven-vertex {B 11 } unit fused with a common triangular face, with the {(PMe 2 Ph) 3 HRe} moiety capping exo to the nido {B 11 } unit with three Re–H–B bonds; an unusual reductive P-phenyl cleavage of a PMe 2 Ph moiety to give B-pendant exo PHMe 2 and exo Ph moieties on the open face of the eleven-vertex subcluster is also apparent.