Gold-boron chemistry. Part 3. The synthesis, characterisation, and molecular structure of [(H11C6)3PAu] 2B8H10. Comments on the 'anomalous' structure of B8H12

Andrew J. Wynd*, Alan J. Welch

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The reaction between [AuMe{P(C6H11)3}] and B10H12(PPh3)2 yields an unexpected product, [(H11C6)3PAu]2B 8H10. This complex was identified by multinuclear n.m.r. spectroscopy, and by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. Four molecules of [(H11C6)3PAu]2B8H 10 and eight of water cocrystallise in space group C2/c with a = 1 7.506(7), b = 1 4.064(3), and c = 20.179(3) Å, and β = 105.012(22)°; R = 0.0469 for 2 512 observed data. The gold-borane complex has crystallographically imposed C2 molecular symmetry, the {Au 2B8H10} fragment having effective C 2v symmetry. The complex is described as an eight-vertex borane cluster with two μ3 gold phosphine units, and an analogy is drawn between the structure of [(H11C6)3PAu] 2B8H10 and that of B8H12, a species whose structure is anomalous in terms of established electron-counting rules. Molecular orbital calculations show that, given the structures they have, the observed electron counts for [(H11C 6)3PAu]2B8H10 and B 8H12 afford thermodynamically stable compounds.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2803-2807
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1990

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry

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