Jiji Zhang

1,3‐Dehydro‐o‐Carborane: Generation and Reaction with Arenes

Like the importance of benzyne, witnessed in modern arene chemistry for decades, 1,2-dehydro-o-carborane (o-carboryne), a three-dimensional relative of benzyne, has been used as a synthon for generating a wide range of cage, carbon-functionalized carboranes over the past 20 years. However, the selective B functionalization of the cage still represents a challenging task. Disclosed herein is the first example of 1,3-dehydro-o-carborane featuring a cage C-B bond having multiple bonding characters, and is successfully generated by treatment of 3-diazonium-o-carborane tetrafluoroborate with non-nucleophilic bases. This presents a new methodology for simultaneous functionalization of both cage carbon and boron vertices.

Dearomative [2 + 2] Cycloaddition and Formal C-H Insertion Reaction of o-Carboryne with Indoles: Synthesis of Carborane-Functionalized Heterocycles.

o-Carboryne (1,2-dehydro-o-carborane) is a very useful synthon for the synthesis of a variety of carborane-functionalized heterocycles. Reaction of o-carboryne with N-protected indoles gave carborane-fused indolines if the protecting group was TMS via dearomative [2 + 2] cycloaddition or carboranyl indoles for N-alkyl ones through formal C-H insertion reaction. For N-aryl indoles, both reactions were observed, giving two products, in which the product ratio was dependent upon the nature of the substituents on the aryl rings. In general, electron-withdrawing substituents favor [2 + 2] cycloaddition, whereas electron-donating substituents promote a formal C-H insertion pathway. This reaction is also compatible with other heteroaromatics. Thus, a stepwise reaction mechanism was proposed to account for the experimental observations. These protocols offer general and efficient methods for the preparation of carborane-functionalized indoles and indolines as well as other heterocycles. The observed dearomative [2 + 2] cycloaddition represents the first example of indoles to undergo such reaction in the absence of transition metals or without UV irradiation. All new compounds were fully characterized by (1)H, (13)C, and (11)B NMR spectroscopy as well as HRMS spectrometry. Some were further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analyses.

An Unprecedented Formal [5 + 2] Cycloaddition of Nitrones with o-Carboryne via Tandem [3 + 2] Cycloaddition/Oxygen Migration/Aromatization Sequence

Heterocyclic skeletons are widespread among natural products as well as bioactive molecules. Cycloaddition reaction has created new opportunities to access heterocycles of great complexity due to its advantage of multiple bond formation in a single step. Here, we describe an unprecedented formal [5 + 2] cycloaddition of nitrone with o-carboryne to afford carborane-fused seven-membered heterocycles. Experimental and theoretical data suggest that a sequence of [3 + 2] cycloaddition, N-O bond cleavage, oxygen migration and rearomatization is involved in this unprecedented reaction. In this process, the nitrone moieties serve as five-atom coupling partners with both heteroatoms being incorporated into the framework of the final products. This new methodology also offers new insight into the chemistry of nitrones.

Three-component [2+2+1] cross-cyclotrimerization of carboryne, unactivated alkene, and trimethylsilylalkyne co-mediated by Zr and Ni.

A three-component [2+2+1] cross-cyclotrimerization of carboryne, alkene, and trimethylsilylalkyne has been achieved under the cooperative action of zirconium and nickel, leading to the synthesis of a series of dihydrofulvenocarboranes. The bulkiness of the alkyne and phosphine ligand plays a key role in the selective formation of the products.

Regioselective Insertion ofo-Carborynes into the α-CH Bond of Tertiary Amines: Synthesis of α-Carboranylated Amines

o-Carboryne can undergo α-CH bond insertion with tertiary amines, thus affording α-carboranylated amines in very good regioselectivity and isolated yields. In this process, the nucleophilic addition of tertiary amines to the multiple bond of o-carboryne generates a zwitterionic intermediate. An intramolecular proton transfer, followed by a nucleophilic attack leads to the formation of the final product. Thus, regioselectivity is highly dependent upon the acidity of α-CH proton of tertiary amines. This approach serves as an efficient methodology for the preparation of a series of 1-aminoalkyl-o-carboranes.

Engineering a Small HOMO-LUMO Gap and Intramolecular C-H Borylation by Diborene/Anthracene Orbital Intercalation

The diborene 1 was synthesized by reduction of a mixture of 1,2-di-9-anthryl-1,2-dibromodiborane(4) (6) and trimethylphosphine with potassium graphite. The X-ray structure of 1 shows the two anthryl rings to be parallel and their π(C14 ) systems perpendicular to the diborene π(B=B) system. This twisted conformation allows for intercalation of the relatively high-lying π(B=B) orbital and the low-lying π* orbital of the anthryl moiety with no significant conjugation, resulting in a small HOMO-LUMO gap (HLG) and ultimately a C-H borylation of the anthryl unit. The HLG of 1 was estimated to be 1.57 eV from the onset of the long wavelength band in its UV/Vis absorption spectrum (THF, λonset =788 nm). The oxidation of 1 with elemental selenium afforded diboraselenirane 8 in quantitative yield. By oxidative abstraction of one phosphine ligand by another equivalent of elemental selenium, the B-B and C1 -H bonds of 8 were cleaved to give the cyclic 1,9-diborylanthracene 9.

Facile Synthesis of N‐Carboranyl Amines through an ortho‐Carboryne Intermediate

The efficient o-carboryne precursor 1-Li-2-OTf-o-C2 B10 H10 reacts with lithium amides at room temperature to give a series of N-carboranyl amines in moderate to high isolated yields. This reaction is compatible with a broad substrate scope from primary to secondary, alkyl to aryl amines. The reaction mechanism is also proposed on the basis of experimental results and DFT calculations. This represents the first general and efficient method for the synthesis of 1-NR(1) R(2) -o-carboranes.

Facial Synthesis of o‐Carborane‐Substituted Alkenes and Allenes by a Regioselective Ene Reaction of 1,3‐Dehydro‐o‐carborane

1,3-Dehydro-o-carborane is a useful synthon for selective cage boron functionalization of o-carboranes. It reacts readily with alkenes or alkynes to give a variety of cage B(3)-alkenyl/allenyl o-carboranes by ene reactions in very high yields and excellent regioselectivity. This can be ascribed to the highly polarized cage C-B multiple bond, which lowers the activation barriers of the ene reaction.

Supercarborane radical anions with 2n + 3 electron counts: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

The synthesis, structure, spectroscopic characterization, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of several 13-vertex carborane radical anions were described. Reactions of 13-vertex closo-carboranes with 1 equiv of finely cut sodium metal in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature afforded the corresponding sodium salts of carborane radical anions as dark-red crystals in very good yield. They represent a rare class of clusters having 2n + 3 framework electrons, which lie between the two well-established and abundant closed 2n + 2 (closo) and open 2n + 4 (nido) skeleton systems. However, attempts to prepare the 12- or 14-vertex analogues failed. DFT calculations indicate that the ΔGsol,1 - ΔGsol,2 values, the difference in the solvation-corrected free-energy changes between the first and second one-electron-reduction processes, can be used as a measure for the stability of carborane radical anions. The relatively high stability of 13-vertex carborane radical anions is related to the unique structures of 13-vertex carboranes, which give rise to minimal structure disruption upon the first one-electron reduction.

Borylene Insertion into Cage B–H Bond: A Route to Electron-Precise B–B Single Bond

A new strategy to construct electron-precise B-B single bond via direct borylene insertion into B-H bond is described. Reduction of bromoborylene stabilized by carborane-fused silylenes with 2 equiv of sodium gives a new compound with a B-B single bond. Both experimental and density functional theory results suggest that such an electron-precise B-B single bond is formed via in situ generated borylene insertion into B-H bond.