M-Carborane as a novel core for periphery-decorated macromolecules

Abstract

Closo m-C2B10H12 can perform as a novel core of globular periphery-decorated macromolecules. To do this, a new class of di and tetrabranched m-carborane derivatives has been synthesized by a judicious choice of the synthetic procedure, starting with 9,10-I2-1,7-closo-C2B10H10. The 2a-NPA (sum of the natural charges of the two bonded atoms) value for a bond, which is defined as the sum of the NPA charges of the two bonded atoms, matches the order of electrophilic reaction at the different cluster bonds of the icosahedral o-and m- carboranes that lead to the formation of B-I bonds. As for m-carborane, most of the 2a-NPA values of B-H vertexes are positive, and their functionalization is more challenging. The synthesis and full characterization of dibranched 9,10-R2-1,7-closo-carborane (R = CH2CHCH2, HO(CH2)3, Cl(CH2)3, TsO(CH2)3, C6H5COO(CH2)3, C6H5COO(CH2)3, N3(CH2)3, CH3CHCH, and C6H5C2N3(CH2)3) compounds as well as the tetrabranched 9,10-R2-1,7-R2-closo-C2B10H8 (R = CH2CHCH2, HO(CH2)3) are presented. The X-ray diffraction of 9,10-(HO(CH2)3)2-1,7-closo-C2B10H10 and 9,10-(CH3CHCH)2-1,7-closo-C2B10H10, as well as their Hirshfeld surface analysis and decomposed fingerprint plots, are described. These new reported tetrabranched m-carborane derivatives provide a sort of novel core for the synthesis of 3D radially grown periphery-decorated macromolecules that are different to the 2D radially grown core of the tetrabranched o-carborane framework.