Xuenian Chen

Facile synthesis of aminodiborane and inorganic butane analogue NH3BH2NH2BH3.

A new ambient-temperature, catalyst-free reaction between ammonia borane and tetrahydrofuran borane produces aminodiborane via the formation of a dihydrogen bond and subsequent molecular hydrogen elimination. The facile synthesis of aminodiborane will make this long-sought active chemical reagent readily available for both inorganic and organic reactions. From aminodiborane, an inorganic butane analogue, NH(3)BH(2)NH(2)BH(3), was prepared, and its single-crystal structure displayed a gauche rather than an anti form conformation.

The roles of dihydrogen bonds in amine borane chemistry.

A dihydrogen bond (DHB) is an electrostatic interaction between a protonic hydrogen and a hydridic hydrogen. Over the past two decades, researchers have made significant progress in the identification and characterization of DHBs and their properties. In comparison with conventional hydrogen bonds (HBs), which have been widely used in catalysis, molecular recognition, crystal engineering, and supramolecular synthesis, chemists have only applied DHBs in very limited ways. Considering that DHBs and conventional HBs have comparable strength, DHBs could be more widely applied in chemistry. Over the past several years, we have explored the impact of DHBs on amine borane chemistry and the syntheses and characterization of amine boranes and ammoniated metal borohydrides for hydrogen storage. Through systematic computational and experimental investigations, we found that DHBs play a dominant role in dictating the reaction pathways (and thus different products) of amine boranes where oppositely charged hydrogens coexist for DHB formation. Through careful experiments, we observed, for the first time, a long-postulated reaction intermediate, ammonia diborane (AaDB), whose behavior is essential to mechanistic understanding of the formation of the diammoniate of diborane (DADB) in the reaction of ammonia (NH3) with tetrahydrofuran borane (THF·BH3). The formation of DADB has puzzled the boron chemistry community for decades. Mechanistic insight enabled us to develop facile syntheses of aminodiborane (ADB), ammonia borane (AB), DADB, and an inorganic butane analog NH3BH2NH2BH3 (DDAB). Our examples, together with those in the literature, reinforce the fact that DHB formation and subsequent molecular hydrogen elimination are a viable approach for creating new covalent bonds and synthesizing new materials. We also review the strong effects of DHBs on the stability of conformers and the hydrogen desorption temperatures of boron-nitrogen compounds. We hope that this Account will encourage further applications of DHBs in molecular recognition, host-guest chemistry, crystal engineering, supramolecular chemistry, molecular self-assembly, chemical kinetics, and the syntheses of new advanced materials.

Experimental and computational study of the formation mechanism of the diammoniate of diborane: the role of dihydrogen bonds.

The mechanism of formation of ammonia borane (NH(3)BH(3), AB) and the diammoniate of diborane ([H(2)B(NH(3))(2)][BH(4)], DADB) in the reaction between NH(3) and THF·BH(3) was explored experimentally and computationally. Ammonia diborane (NH(3)BH(2)(μ-H)BH(3), AaDB), a long-sought intermediate proposed for the formation of DADB, was directly observed in the reaction using (11)B NMR spectroscopy. The results indicate that dihydrogen bonds between the initially formed AB and AaDB accelerate the formation of DADB in competition with the formation of AB.

Ammonium octahydrotriborate (NH4B3H8): new synthesis, structure, and hydrolytic hydrogen release.

A metathesis reaction between unsolvated NaB(3)H(8) and NH(4)Cl provides a simple and high-yield synthesis of NH(4)B(3)H(8). Structure determination through X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis reveals weak N-H(δ+)---H(δ-)-B interaction in NH(4)B(3)H(8) and strong N-H(δ+)---H(δ-)-B interaction in NH(4)B(3)H(8)·18-crown-6·THF adduct. Pyrolysis of NH(4)B(3)H(8) leads to the formation of hydrogen gas with appreciable amounts of other volatile boranes below 160 °C. Hydrolysis experiments show that upon addition of catalysts, NH(4)B(3)H(8) releases up to 7.5 materials wt % hydrogen.

Li2B12H12 · 7NH3: a new ammine complex for ammonia storage or indirect hydrogen storage

A new ammine complex, Li2B12H12·7NH3, that can reversibly release all the NH3 at below 200 °C and reabsorb NH3 at room temperature and 0.5 bar was synthesized and investigated for reversible ammonia storage or indirect hydrogen storage.

A simple and efficient way to synthesize unsolvated sodium octahydrotriborate

A simple and efficient way to synthesize unsolvated sodium octahydrotriborate has been developed. This method avoids the use of dangerous starting materials and significantly simplifies the reaction setup, thus enabling convenient large-scale synthesis. The structure of the unsolvated compound has been determined through powder X-ray diffraction.

Water-Free Rare Earth-Prussian Blue Type Analogues: Synthesis, Structure, Computational Analysis, and Magnetic Data of {LnIII(DMF)6FeIII(CN)6}∞(Ln = Rare Earths Excluding Pm)

Water-free rare earth(III) hexacyanoferrate(III) complexes, {Ln(DMF)(6)(mu-CN)(2)Fe(CN)(4)}(infinity) (DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide; Ln = Sm, 1; Eu, 2; Gd, 3; Tb, 4; Dy, 5; Ho, 6; Er, 7; Tm, 8; Yb, 9; Lu, 10; Y, 11; La, 12; Ce, 13; Pr, 14; Nd, 15), were synthesized in dry DMF through the metathesis reactions of [(18-crown-6)K](3)Fe(CN)(6) with LnX(3)(DMF)(n) (X = Cl or NO(3)). Anhydrous DMF solutions of LnX(3)(DMF)(n) were prepared at room temperature from LnCl(3) or LnX(3).nH(2)O under a dynamic vacuum. All compounds were characterized by IR, X-ray powder diffraction (except for 10), and single crystal X-ray diffraction (except for 2, 7, 10). Infrared spectra reveal that a monotonic, linear relationship exists between the ionic radius of the lanthanide and the nu(mu-CN) stretching frequency of 1-10, 12-15 while 11 deviates slightly from the ionic radius relationship. X-ray powder diffraction data are in agreement with powder patterns calculated from single crystal X-ray diffraction results, a useful alternative for bulk sample confirmation when elemental analysis data are difficult to obtain. Eight-coordinate Ln(III) metal centers are observed for all structures. trans-cyanide units of [Fe(CN)(6)](3-) formed isocyanide linkages to Ln(III) resulting in one-dimensional polymeric chains. Structures of compounds 1-9 and 11 are isomorphous, crystallizing in the space group C2/c. Structures of compounds 12-15 are also isomorphous, crystallizing in the space group P2/n. One unique polymeric chain exists in the structures of 1-9 and 11 while two unique polymeric chains exist in structures of 12-15. One of the polymeric chains of 12-15 is similar to that observed for 1-9, 11 while the other is more distorted and has a shorter Ln-Fe distance. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for compounds 3-6, 8, 11 were performed on polycrystalline samples of the compounds.

Large‐Scale and Facile Preparation of Pure Ammonia Borane through Displacement Reactions

Ammonia borane (AB) is the most widely studied hydride for hydrogen storage in addition to being a useful reducing agent. Attempts to synthesize pure AB through simple displacement reactions date back to the 1960s; but have been thwarted by the formation of the diammoniate of diborane (DADB), an ionic byproduct. Based on our recent characterization of the formation mechanism of DADB, we have developed a large-scale synthesis of pure AB by both increasing the basicity of the Lewis base of the borane carrier and using a nonpolar solvent to limit the formation of an intermediate, the ammonia diborane (AaDB). Conditions were optimized for the preparation of pure AB by two displacement reactions, either ammonia with dimethylsulfide borane or ammonia with dimethylaniline borane in toluene at room temperature. These procedures are also suitable for preparation of other amine boranes which had the same problem of forming ionic byproducts during displacement reactions.

New syntheses and structural characterization of NH3BH2Cl and (BH2NH2)3 and thermal decomposition behavior of NH3BH2Cl.

New convenient procedures for the preparation of ammonia monochloroborane (NH(3)BH(2)Cl) and cyclotriborazane [(BH(2)NH(2))(3)] are described. Crystal structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Strong H···Cl···H bifurcated hydrogen bonding and weak N-H···H dihydrogen bonding are observed in the crystal structure of ammonia monochloroborane. When heated at 50 °C or under vacuum, ammonia monochloroborane decomposes to (NH(2)BHCl)(x), which was characterized by NMR, elemental analysis, and powder X-ray diffraction. Redetermination of the crystal structure of cyclotriborazane at low temperature by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis provides accurate hydrogen positions. Similar to ammonia borane, cyclotriborazane shows extensive dihydrogen bonding of N-H···H and B-H···H bonds with H(δ+)···H(δ-) interactions in the range of 2.00-2.34 Å.

A Convenient Synthesis and a NMR Study of the Diammoniate of Diborane

DADB synthesis: The diammoniate of diborane (DADB) was synthesized in a new metathesis reaction between the diammoniate of monochloroborane and potassium borohydride in liquid ammonia. (1)H and (11)B NMR spectra of DADB are reported. The stability in THF was examined by variable-temperature (11)B NMR spectroscopy.