Cationic chains of phosphanyl- and arsanylboranes

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Organometallic Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Cationic phosphorus chains have been extensively studied.
• Mixed Group 13/15 element cationic chains remained unreported prior to this study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel mixed Group 13/15 element cationic chain compounds.
• To explore the reactivity of pnictogenboranes with monohalideboranes.
• To investigate the structural and electronic properties of these new cationic chains.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of cationic chain compounds using pnictogenboranes (H2EBH2⋅NMe3, E=P, As) and monohalideboranes.
• Characterization via X-ray structure analysis, NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to elucidate reaction pathways, stability, and charge distribution.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of mixed Group 13/15 cationic chain compounds with the general formula [Me3N⋅BH2EH2BH2⋅NMe3][X] (E=P, As; X=AlCl4, I) and [Me3N⋅BH2PH2BH2PH2BH2⋅NMe3][X] (X=I, VCl4(thf)2).
• Comprehensive characterization confirmed the structures and properties of the synthesized compounds.
• DFT calculations supported the experimental findings, revealing high thermodynamic stability and detailed charge distribution.

Conclusions:

• This work reports the first examples of mixed Group 13/15 element cationic chains.
• The synthesized compounds are structurally characterized and their stability is confirmed.
• The study provides insights into the formation and properties of these novel inorganic cationic structures.