Metal-Induced B−H Activation: Addition of Acetylene, Propyne, or 3-Methoxypropyne to Rh(Cp*), Ir(Cp*), Ru(p-cymene), and Os(p-cymene) Half-Sandwich Complexes Containing a Chelating 1,2-Dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-1,2-dichalcogenolato Ligand

The addition reactions of the 16e half-sandwich complexes [M(eta5-Cp*)[E2C2(B10H10)]] (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl: 1S: E=S, M=Rh; 2S: E=S; M=Ir; 2Se: E=Se, M=Ir) and [M(eta6-p-cymene)[S2C2(B10H10)]] (p-cymene=4-isopropyltoluene; 3S: M=Ru; 4S: M=Os), with acetylene, propyne, and 3-methoxypropyne lead to the 18e complexes 5-19 with a metal-boron bond in each case. The reactions start with an insertion of the alkyne into one of the metal-chalcogen bonds, followed by B-H activation, transfer of one hydrogen atom from the carborane via the metal to the terminal carbon of the alkyne, and concomitant ortho-metalation of the carborane. The E-eta2-CC and the C(1)B units are arranged either cisoid or transoid at the metal. X-ray structural analyses are reported for one of the starting 16e complexes (4S), the cisoid complex 12S (from 2S and HC[triple bond]C-CH3), and the transoid complexes 9S and 14S (from 1S and HC[triple bond]C-CH2OMe, and from 3S and HC[triple bond]CH, respectively). All new complexes 5-19 were characterized by NMR spectroscopy (1H, 11B, 13C, and 77Se and 103Rh NMR spectroscopy when appropriate).