skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: [(Cp 2 M) 2 B 9 H 11 ] (M = Zr or Hf): early transition metal ‘guarded’ heptaborane with strong covalent and electrostatic bonding
Among the series of stable closo -borate dianions, [B n H n ] 2− , the X-ray crystallographic structure of [B 7 H 7 ] 2− was determined only in 2011. To explore its chemistry and stability, we have isolated and structurally characterized two new transition metal complexes of the heptaborane, [(Cp 2 M) 2 B 9 H 11 ] (Cp = η 5 -C 5 H 5 ; M = Zr or Hf). The structures of [(Cp 2 M) 2 B 9 H 11 ] contain a pentagonal bipyramidal B 7 core, coordinated by two {Cp 2 M} and two {BH 2 } units equatorially. Structural and spectroscopic characterizations and DFT calculations show that [(Cp 2 M) 2 B 9 H 11 ] complexes are substantially more stable than the parent dianion, in either [B 7 H 7 ] 2− or ( n Bu 4 N) 2 [B 7 H 7 ]. Our theoretical study and chemical bonding analyses reveal that the surprising stability of the two new heptaborane metal complexes is due to multi-center covalent bonds related to the two exo -{Cp 2 M} units, as well as electrostatic interactions between the {Cp 2 M} units and the B 7 core. The facile syntheses of the heptaborane metal-complexes will allow further exploration of their chemistry.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1655066
PAR ID:
10079779
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Chemical Science
Volume:
9
Issue:
7
ISSN:
2041-6520
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1976 to 1981
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract Herein, a new family of hybrid metal halides, (DMAP)2MBr4(M = Cu, Zn), featuring zero‐dimensional (0D), pseudo‐layered crystal structures containing isolated molecular 4‐dimethylaminopyridinium (DMAP, C7H11N2+) cations and MBr42−tetrahedral anions are reported. (DMAP)2MBr4show remarkable long‐term stability, with no signs of degradation after one year of ambient air exposure. The reported solution synthesis affords large crystals measuring up to 1 cm, which showed significant response to soft 8 keV X‐ray photons when implemented into X‐ray detectors. Furthermore, (DMAP)2ZnBr4demonstrates tunable color light emission properties, which is attributed to the organic molecular units based on our combined experimental and computational results. The measured photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) for (DMAP)2ZnBr4is 7.35 %, a remarkable enhancement of emission efficiency as compared to a weak emission from the organic precursor. The inexpensive and earth‐abundant chemical compositions and ease of preparation of the new hybrid metal halides make them promising candidates for optical and electronic applications. 
    more » « less
  2. The reduction potentials (reported vs. Fc + /Fc) for a series of Cp′ 3 Ln complexes (Cp′ = C 5 H 4 SiMe 3 , Ln = lanthanide) were determined via electrochemistry in THF with [ n Bu 4 N][BPh 4 ] as the supporting electrolyte. The Ln( iii )/Ln( ii ) reduction potentials for Ln = Eu, Yb, Sm, and Tm (−1.07 to −2.83 V) follow the expected trend for stability of 4f 7 , 4f 14 , 4f 6 , and 4f 13 Ln( ii ) ions, respectively. The reduction potentials for Ln = Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Lu, that form 4f n 5d 1 Ln( ii ) ions ( n = 2–14), fall in a narrow range of −2.95 V to −3.14 V. Only cathodic events were observed for La and Ce at −3.36 V and −3.43 V, respectively. The reduction potentials of the Ln( ii ) compounds [K(2.2.2-cryptand)][Cp′ 3 Ln] (Ln = Pr, Sm, Eu) match those of the Cp′ 3 Ln complexes. The reduction potentials of nine (C 5 Me 4 H) 3 Ln complexes were also studied and found to be 0.05–0.24 V more negative than those of the Cp′ 3 Ln compounds. 
    more » « less
  3. The investigation of the coordination chemistry of rare-earth metal complexes with cyanide ligands led to the isolation and crystallographic characterization of the Ln III cyanotriphenylborate complexes dichlorido(cyanotriphenylborato-κ N )tetrakis(tetrahydrofuran-κ O )lanthanide(III), [ Ln Cl 2 (C 19 H 15 BN)(C 4 H 8 O) 4 ] [lanthanide ( Ln ) = dysprosium (Dy) and yttrium Y)] from reactions of LnCl 3 , KCN, and NaBPh 4 . Attempts to independently synthesize the tetraethylammonium salt of (NCBPh 3 ) − from BPh 3 and [NEt 4 ][CN] in THF yielded crystals of the phenyl-substituted cyclic borate, tetraethylazanium 2,2,4,6-tetraphenyl-1,3,5,2λ 4 ,4,6-trioxatriborinan-2-ide, C 8 H 20 N + ·C 24 H 20 B 3 O 3 − or [NEt 4 ][B 3 (μ-O) 3 (C 6 H 5 ) 4 ]. The mechanochemical reaction of BPh 3 and [NEt 4 ][CN] without solvent produced crystals of tetraethylazanium cyanodiphenyl-λ 4 -boranyl diphenylborinate, C 8 H 20 N + ·C 25 H 20 B 2 NO − or [NEt 4 ][NCBPh 2 (μ-O)BPh 2 ]. Reaction of BPh 3 and KCN in THF in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) led to a crystal of bis[(2.2.2-cryptand)potassium] 2,2,4,6-tetraphenyl-1,3,5,2λ 4 ,4,6-trioxatriborinan-2-ide cyanomethyldiphenylborate tetrahydrofuran disolvate, 2C 18 H 36 KN 2 O 6 + ·C 24 H 20 B 3 O 3 − ·C 14 H 13 BN − ·2C 4 H 8 O or [K(crypt)] 2 [B 3 (μ-O) 3 (C 6 H 5 ) 4 ][NCBPh 2 Me]·2THF. The [NCBPh 2 (μ-O)BPh 2 ] 1− and (NCBPh 2 Me) 1− anions have not been structurally characterized previously. The structure of 1-Y was refined as a two-component twin with occupancy factors 0.513 (1) and 0.487 (1). In 4 , one solvent molecule was disordered and included using multiple components with partial site-occupancy factors. 
    more » « less
  4. The synthesis of previously unknown bis(cyclopentadienyl) complexes of the first transition metal, i.e., Sc(II) scandocene complexes, has been investigated using C5H2(tBu)3 (Cpttt), C5Me5 (Cp*), and C5H3(SiMe3)2 (Cp″) ligands. Cpttt 2ScI, 1, formed from ScI3 and KCpttt, can be reduced with potassium graphite (KC8) in hexanes to generate dark-red crystals of the first crystallographically characterizable bis(cyclopentadienyl) scandium(II) complex, Cpttt 2Sc, 2. Complex 2 has a 170.6° (ring centroid)-Sc-(ring centroid) angle and exhibits an eight-line EPR spectrum characteristic of Sc(II) with Aiso = 82.6 MHz (29.6 G). It sublimes at 200 °C at 10−4 Torr and has a melting point of 268−271 °C. Reductions of Cp*2ScI and Cp″2ScI under analogous conditions in hexanes did not provide new Sc(II) complexes, and reduction of Cp*2ScI in benzene formed the Sc(III) phenyl complex, Cp*2Sc(C6H5), 3, by C−H bond activation. However, in Et2O and toluene, reduction of Cp*2ScI at −78 °C gives a dark-red solution, 4, which displays an eight-line EPR pattern like that of 1, but it did not provide thermally stable crystals. Reduction of Cp″2ScI, in THF or Et2O at −35 °C in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand, yields the green Sc(II) metallocene iodide complex, [K(crypt)][Cp″2ScI], 5, which was identified by X-ray crystallography and EPR spectroscopy and is thermally unstable. The analogous reaction of Cp*2ScI with KC8 and 18-crown-6 in Et2O gave the ligand redistribution product, [Cp*2Sc(18- crown-6-κ2O,O′)][Cp*2ScI2], 6, as the only crystalline product. Density functional theory 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract Organofunctionalized tetranuclear clusters [(MIICl)2(VIVO)2{((HOCH2CH2)(H)N(CH2CH2O))(HN(CH2CH2O)2)}2] (1, M=Co,2: M=Zn) containing an unprecedented oxometallacyclic {M2V2Cl2N4O8} (M=Co, Zn) framework have been prepared by solvothermal reactions. The new oxo‐alkoxide compounds were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods, magnetic susceptibility measurement, DFT and ab initio computational methods, and complete single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction structure analysis. The isostructural clusters are formed of edge‐sharing octahedral {VO5N} and trigonal bipyramidal {MO3NCl} units. Diethanolamine ligates the bimetallic lacunary double cubane core of1and2in an unusual two‐mode fashion, unobserved previously. In the crystalline state, the clusters of1and2are joined by hydrogen bonds to form a three‐dimensional network structure. Magnetic susceptibility data indicate weakly antiferromagnetic interactions between the vanadium centers [Jiso(VIV−VIV)=−5.4(1); −3.9(2) cm−1], and inequivalent antiferromagnetic interactions between the cobalt and vanadium centers [Jiso(VIV−CoII)=−12.6 and −7.5 cm−1] contained in1. 
    more » « less