Syntheses of functionalized ferratricarbadecaboranyl complexes.

The reactions of nitriles (RCN) with arachno-4,6-C(2)B(7)H(12)(-) provide a general route to functionalized tricarbadecaboranyl anions, 6-R-nido-5,6,9-C(3)B(7)H(9)(-), R = C(6)H(5) (2(-)), NC(CH(2))(4) (4(-)), (p-BrC(6)H(4))(Me(3)SiO)CH (6(-)), C(14)H(11) (8(-)), and H(3)BNMe(2)(CH(2))(2) (10(-)). Further reaction of these anions with (eta(5)-C(5)H(5))Fe(CO)(2)I yields the functionalized ferratricarbadecaboranyl complexes 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-C(6)H(5)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (3), 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-NC(CH(2))(4)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (5), 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-[(p-BrC(6)H(4))(Me(3)SiO)CH]-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (7), 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-C(14)H(11)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (9), and 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-H(3)BNMe(2)(CH(2))(2)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (11). Reaction of 11 with DABCO (triethylenediamine) resulted in removal of the BH(3) group coordinated to the nitrogen of the side chain, giving 1-(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))-2-NMe(2)(CH(2))(2)-closo-1,2,3,4-FeC(3)B(7)H(9) (12). Crystallographic studies of complexes 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 confirmed that these complexes are ferrocene analogues in which a formal Fe(2+) ion is sandwiched between the cyclopentadienyl and tricarbadecaboranyl monoanionic ligands. The metals are eta(6)-coordinated to the puckered six-membered face of the tricarbadecaboranyl cage, with the exopolyhedral substituents bonded to the low-coordinate carbon adjacent to the iron.