Multiple boron-boron bonds in neutral molecules: an insight from the extended transition state method and the natural orbitals for chemical valence scheme.

We have analyzed the character of B═B and B≡B bonds in the neutral molecules of general form: LHB═BHL (2-L) and LB≡BL (3-L), for various ancillary ligands L attached to the boron center, based on a recently developed method that combines the extended transition state scheme with the theory of natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV). In the case of molecules with the B═B bond, 2-L, we have included L = PMe(3), PF(3), PCl(3), PH(3), C(3)H(4)N(2)═C(NHCH)(2), whereas for molecules containing the B≡B connection, 3-L, the following ligands were considered L = CO, PMe(3), PCl(3), (Me(2)NCH(2)CH(2)O)(2)Ge. The results led us to conclude that use of phosphorus ligands leads to strengthening of the B═B bond by 6.4 kcal/mol (for 2-PMe(3)), by 4.4 (for 2-PF(3)) and by 9.2 (for 2-PH(3)), when compared to a molecule developed on the experimental basis, 2-C(3)H(4)N(2) (ΔE(total) = -118.3 kcal/mol). The ETS scheme has shown that all contributions, that is, (i) orbital interaction ΔE(orb), (ii) Pauli repulsion ΔE(Pauli), and (iii) electrostatic stabilization ΔE(elstat), are important in determining the trend in the B═B bond energies, ΔE(total). ETS-NOCV results revealed that both σ(B═B) and π(B═B) contributions are responsible for the changes in ΔE(orb) values. All considered molecules of the type LB≡BL, 3-L, exhibit a stronger B≡B bond when compared to a double B═B connection in 2-L (|ΔE(total)| is lower by 11.8-42.5 kcal/mol, depending on the molecule). The main reason is a lower Pauli repulsion contribution noted for 3-CO, 3-PMe(3), and 3-PCl(3) molecules. In addition, in the case of 3-PMe(3) and 3-PCl(3), the orbital interaction term is more stabilizing; however, the effect is less pronounced compared to the drop in the Pauli repulsion term. In all of the systems with double and triple boron-boron bonds, the electronic factor (ΔE(orb)) dominates over the electrostatic contribution (ΔE(elstat)). Finally, the strongest B≡B connection was found for 3-Ge [L = (Me(2)NCH(2)CH(2)O)(2)Ge], predominantly as a result of the strongest σ- and π-contributions, despite the highest destabilization originating from the sizable bulkiness of the germanium-containing ligand. The data on energetic stability of multiple boron-boron bonds (relatively high values of bond dissociation energies |ΔE(total)|), suggest that it should be possible to isolate experimentally the novel proposed systems with double B═B bonds, 2-PMe(3), 2-PF(3), 2-PCl(3), and 2-PH(3), and those with triple B≡B connections, 3-PMe(3), 3-Ge, and 3-PCl(3).