Optimizing the least nucleophilic anion. A new, strong methyl(+) reagent

The icosahedral carborane anions H-CB11X6H5- (X = Cl, Br, I) are among the most inert, least coordinating, and least basic anions known. These properties are enhanced by 2,3,4,5,6-pentamethylation with methyl triflate. The resulting anions, H-CB11X6Me5-, are more inert than their unmethylated precursors, have improved NMR handles, and their salts have higher solubility in low dielectric media. They sustain superacidity in H(H-CB11X6Me5). Protonated benzene has been isolated and characterized by X-ray crystallography, moving Wheland intermediates from the status of spectroscopically observable transients to weighable reagents. The new anions sustain extreme Lewis acidity in silylium ion-like R3Si(H-CB11X6Me5) species. Treatment of Et3Si(H-CB11Br6Me5) with methyl triflate leads to a new methyl+ reagent CH3(H-CB11Br6Me5) that is more potent than methyl triflate. It methylates benzene without heating or acid catalysis to give the toluenium ion. The H-CB11X6Me5- anions come as close as any to the concept of a univeral weakly coordinating anion and, with cheaper starting materials now available, promise to become specialty chemicals of wide usage.