Abstract The [7-SeB10H11]− anion has been prepared by the degradation of 1-SeB11H11 with NaOEt in ethanol. Data from 1H, 11B and 11B−11B COSY NMR spectra have enabled the structure of the anion in solution to be assigned. An X-ray diffraction study of [Et4N][7-SeB10H11] showed the crystals to be monoclinic, space group P21/c with two formula units in each unit cell of dimensions a = 8.485(2), b = 10,654(2), c = 10.078(2) A,β = 91.10(2)°. 1985 unique reflections were measured, but only the 547 with I ⪢ 3σ(I) were labelled “observed” and used in the structure solution and refinement. Both cation and anion lie on independent inversion centres and are disordered. In the anion, the Se atom was scrambled unequally over 12 sites. The final R value is 0.12. An analysis of the MNDO calculated composition of the five lowest energy unoccupied m.o's. of the sulphur analogue of SeB11H11 was carried out. The results suggest that the B-atom lost in the nucleophilic degradation reaction will be from a position adjacent to S(Se). This is supported by experimental data.
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