Three- and Five-Membered Anionic Chains of Pnictogenylboranes

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Organometallic Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Pnictogenylboranes are compounds containing elements from Group 15 (pnictogens) and boron.
• Anionic derivatives of these compounds are less explored but hold potential for novel reactivity and applications.
• Understanding the synthesis and properties of these species is crucial for advancing main group chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the synthesis of an unprecedented family of substituted anionic pnictogenylboranes.
• To explore the formation of both three- and five-membered ring structures.
• To investigate the structural and thermodynamic properties of these novel compounds.

Main Methods:

• Reaction of pnictogenylboranes (H₂E'-BH₂-NMe₃) with pnictogen-based nucleophiles (MER1R2).
• Isolation and characterization of unsymmetrical and symmetrical anionic products using crown ethers and cryptands as counterions.
• Quantum chemical computations to evaluate reaction pathway thermodynamics.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and isolation of a novel family of three- and five-membered anionic pnictogenylborane derivatives.
• Reported synthesis of symmetrical diphenyl-substituted compounds as inorganic analogs of dppm and dpam.
• Demonstrated elongation of the pnictogen-boron backbone to form chain-like five-membered compounds.
• Thermodynamic evaluation of reaction pathways via computational methods.

Conclusions:

• A new class of anionic pnictogenylboranes with diverse structural motifs has been synthesized.
• These compounds serve as valuable inorganic analogs to important organic ligands.
• The study provides insights into the reactivity and stability of these novel main group compounds.