Structural Investigations into the retro-Diels-Alder Reaction. Experimental and Theoretical Studies

The manifestations of the retro-Diels Alder reaction in the ground-state structures of a range of cyclopentadiene and cyclohexadiene cycloadducts 9-15 have been investigated by a combination of techniques. These include low-temperature X-ray crystallography, density functional calculations (B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)) on both the ground states and transition states, and the measurement of (13)C-(13)C coupling constants. We have found that the carbon-carbon bonds (labeled bonds a and b), which break in the rDA, are longer in the cycloadducts 9-15 than in their corresponding saturated analogues 9s-15s, which cannot undergo the rDA reaction. The degree of carbon-carbon bond lengthening appears to be related to the reactivity of the cycloadduct, thus the more reactive benzoquinone cycloadducts 5b and 13 have longer carbon-carbon bonds. Those cycloadducts 14 and 15 which are predicted to undergo asynchronous reactions show differing degrees of carbon-carbon bond lengthening, reflecting the differing degrees of bond breaking at the calculated transition states for the rDA.     

Design, total synthesis, and evaluation of novel open-chain epothilone analogues

[structure: see text] The design, total synthesis, and biological evaluation of two open-chain analogues of epothilone incorporating the critical C1-C8 fragment and the aromatic side chain held together by a small molecular scaffold have been achieved. Biological evaluation revealed that further restraint between the flexible C1-C8 region and the molecular scaffold may be necessary for potent inhibition of cell proliferation.     

Synthesis and biological properties of C12,13-cyclopropylepothilone A and related epothilones

Background: The epothilones are natural substances that are potently cytotoxic, having an almost identical mode of action to Taxol^TM as tubulin-polymerization abd microtubule-stabilizing agents. The development of detailed structure-activity relationships for these compounds and the further elucidation of their mechanism of action is of high priority.Results: The chemical synthesis of the C12,13-cyclopropyl analog of epothilone A and its C12,13-trans-diastereoisomer has been accomplished. These compounds and several other epothilone analogs have been screened for their ability to induce tubulin polymerization and death of a number of tumor cells. Several interesting structure-activity trends within this family of compounds were identified.Conclusions: The results of the biological tests conducted in this study have demonstrated that, although a number of positions on the epothilone skeleton are amenable to modification without significant loss of biological activity, the replacement of the epoxide moiety of epothilone A with a cyclopropyl group leads to total loss of activity.     

Conformation-activity relationships in polyketide natural products. Towards the biologically active conformation of epothilone

The conformation-activity relationships for the biologically active polyketide, epothilone, have been determined. Computer-based molecular modeling and high field NMR techniques have provided the solution preferences for epothilones and. For the C1-C8 polypropionate region, two conformational families, conformers 1 and 2, have been identified as having significant populations in polar and non-polar solvents. In the C11-C15 region, additional flexibility was observed and two local conformations have been identified as important, conformers 3 and 4. Epothilone analogues with altered conformational profiles have been designed and synthesized. Conformational analysis and the results of biological assays have been correlated to provide increased understanding of the biologically active conformation for the epothilone class of natural product. Conformation-activity relationships have been shown to be an important complement to structure-activity data.     

Interaction of epothilone analogs with the paclitaxel binding site: relationship between binding affinity, microtubule stabilization, and cytotoxicity

The interactions of epothilone analogs with the paclitaxel binding site of microtubules were studied. The influence of chemical modifications in the C15 side chain and in C12 on binding affinity and microtubule elongation was characterized. Modifications favorable for binding affinity are (1). a thiomethyl group at C21 of the thiazole side chain, (2). a methyl group at C12 in S configuration, (3). a pyridine side chain with C15 in S configuration, and (4). a cyclopropyl moiety between C12 and C13. The same modification in different ligands has similar effect on affinity, allowing good structure-affinity characterization. The correlation between binding, microtubule stabilization, and cytotoxicity of the compounds has been determined, showing differential effects of the modifications. The binding constants correlate well with IC(50) values, demonstrating that affinity measurements are a useful tool for drug design.     

Total synthesis of epothilone a through stereospecific epoxidation of the p-methoxybenzyl ether of epothilone C

The total synthesis of epothilone A is described by the coupling four segments 4-7 a. Three of the segments, 4, 5 and 7 a, have only one chiral center; all other chiral centers were introduced by simple asymmetric catalytic reactions. The key steps are the ring opening of epoxide 5 with acetylide 8 for the construction of the C12-C13 cis double bond and a practical hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) developed by Jacobsen group for the introduction the chiral center at C3. Especially, the stereospecific epoxidation of 3-O-PMB epothilone C 3 b through long-range effect of 3-O-PMB protecting group gave high yields of the C12-C13 alpha-epoxide for the synthesis of target molecule.     

Solution and biologically relevant conformations of enantiomeric 11-cis-locked cyclopropyl retinals

To gain information on the conformation of the 11-cis-retinylidene chromophore bound to bovine opsin, the enantiomeric pair (2a and 2b) of 11-cis-locked bicyclo[5.1.0]octyl retinal (retCPr) 2 was prepared and its conformation was investigated by NMR, geometry optimization, and CD calculations. This compound is also of interest since it contains a unique moiety in which a chiral cyclopropyl group is flanked by triene and enal chromophores, and hence would clarify the little-known chiroptical contribution of a cyclopropyl ring linked to polyene systems. NMR revealed that the seven-membered ring of retCPr adopts a twist chair conformation. The NMR-derived structure constraints were then used for optimizing the geometry of 2 with molecular mechanics and ab initio methods. This revealed that enantiomer 2a with a 11 beta,12 beta-cyclopropyl group exists as two populations of diastereomers depending on the twist around the 6-s bond; however, the sense of twist around the 12-s is positive in both rotamers. The theoretical Boltzmann-weighted CD obtained with the pi-SCF-CI-DV MO method and experimental spectra were consistent, thus suggesting that the conjugative effect of the cyclopropyl moiety is minimal. It was found that only the beta-cyclopropyl enantiomer 2a, but not the alpha-enantiomer 2b, binds to opsin. This observation, together with earlier retinal analogues incorporation results, led to the conclusion that the chromophore sinks into the N-terminal of the opsin receptor from the side of the 4-methylene and 15-aldehyde, and that the binding cleft accommodates 11-cis-retinal with a slightly positive twist around C12/C13. A reinterpretation of the previously published negative CD couplet of 11,12-dihydrorhodopsin also leads to a chromophoric C12/C13 twist conformation with the 13-Me in front as in 1b. Such a conformation for the chromophore accounts for both the observed biostereoselectivity of retCPr 2a and the observed negative couplet of 11,12-dihydro-Rh7.     

Design, total synthesis, and evaluation of C13-C14 cyclopropane analogues of (+)-discodermolide

[structure: see text] The design, total synthesis, and biological evaluation of two C13-C14-cyclopropyl analogues [(+)-1 and (+)-2] of (+)-discodermolide have been achieved. Key features of the syntheses include highly stereoselective, hydroxyl-directed cyclopropanations of vinyl iodides and higher order cuprate-mediated cross-coupling reactions between cyclopropyl iodides and alkyl iodides. Biological evaluation revealed that neither orientation of the cyclopropyl methylene completely substitutes for the C14 methyl found in (+)-discodermolide (3).     

Constraints of opsin structure on the ligand-binding site: studies with ring-fused retinals

Ring-fused retinal analogs were designed to examine the hula-twist mode of the photoisomerization of the 9-cis retinylidene chromophore. Two 9-cis retinal analogs, the C11-C13 five-membered ring-fused and the C12-C14 five-membered ring-fused retinal derivatives, formed the pigments with opsin. The C11-C13 ring-fused analog was isomerized to a relaxed all-trans chromophore (lambda(max) > 400 nm) at even -269 degrees C and the Schiff base was kept protonated at 0 degrees C. The C12-C14 ring-fused analog was converted photochemically to a bathorhodopsin-like chromophore (lambda(max) = 583 nm) at -196 degrees C, which was further converted to the deprotonated Schiff base at 0 degrees C. The model-building study suggested that the analogs do not form pigments in the retinal-binding site of rhodopsin but form pigments with opsin structures, which have larger binding space generated by the movement of transmembrane helices. The molecular dynamics simulation of the isomerization of the analog chromophores provided a twisted C11-C12 double bond for the C12-C14 ring-fused analog and all relaxed double bonds with a highly twisted C10-C11 bond for the C11-C13 ring-fused analog. The structural model of the C11-C13 ring-fused analog chromophore showed a characteristic flip of the cyclohexenyl moiety toward transmembrane segments 3 and 4. The structural models suggested that hula twist is a primary process for the photoisomerization of the analog chromophores.     

The Total Synthesis and Biological Assessment of trans‐Epothilone A

The total synthesis of (12S,13S)‐trans‐epothilone A ( 1a ) was achieved based on two different convergent strategies. In a first‐generation approach, construction of the C(11) C(12) bond by Pd⁰‐catalyzed Negishi‐type coupling between the C(12)‐to‐C(15) trans‐vinyl iodide 5 and the C(7)‐to‐C(11) alkyl iodide 4 preceded the (nonselective) formation of the C(6) C(7) bond by aldol reaction between the C(7)‐to‐C(15) aldehyde 25 and the dianion derived from the C(1)‐to‐C(6) acid 3 . The lack of selectivity in the aldol step was addressed in a second‐generation approach, which involved construction of the C(6) C(7) bond in a highly diastereoselective fashion through reaction between the acetonide‐protected C(1)‐to‐C(6) diol 31 (‘Schinzer's ketone') and the C(7)‐to‐C(11) aldehyde 30 . As part of this strategy, the C(11) C(12) bond was established subsequent to the critical aldol step and was based on B‐alkyl Suzuki coupling between the C(1)‐to‐C(11) fragment 40 and C(12)‐to‐C(15) trans‐vinyl iodide 5 . Both approaches converged at the stage of the 3‐O, 7‐O‐bis‐TBS‐protected seco acid 27 , which was converted to trans‐deoxyepothilone A ( 2 ) via Yamaguchi macrolactonization and subsequent deprotection. Stereoselective epoxidation of the trans C(12) C(13) bond could be achieved by epoxidation with Oxone ^® in the presence of the catalyst 1,2 : 4,5‐di‐O‐isopropylidene‐L ‐erythro‐2,3‐hexodiuro‐2,6‐pyranose ( 42a ), which provided a 8 : 1 mixture of 1a and its (12R,13R)‐epoxide isomer 1b in 27% yield (54% based on recovered starting material). The absolute configuration of 1a was established by X‐ray crystallography. Compound 1a is at least equipotent with natural epothilone A in its ability to induce tubulin polymerization and to inhibit the growth of human cancer cell lines in vitro. In contrast, the biological activity of 1b is at least two orders of magnitude lower than that of epothilone A or 1a .     

Synthesis,Profiling, and Bioactive Conformation of trans‐Cyclopropyl Epothilones

A series of new 3‐deoxy‐C(12),C(13)‐trans‐cyclopropyl‐epothilones have been prepared, bearing benzothiazole, quinoline, thiazol‐5‐ylvinyl, or isoxazol‐3‐ylvinyl side chains. For analogs with fused aromatic side chains, macrocyclic ring‐closure was based on ring‐closing olefin metathesis (RCM) of a precursor incorporating the fully elaborated heavy atom framework of the target structure (including the side chain moiety), while side chain attachment for the thiazole and isoxazole‐containing 16‐desmethyl analogs was performed only after establishment of the macrolactone core. Two approaches were elaborated for a macrocyclic aldehyde as the common precursor for the latter analogs that involved ring‐closure either by RCM or by macrolactonization. Benzothiazole‐ and quinoline‐based analogs were found to be highly potent antiproliferative agents; the two analogs with a thiazol‐5‐ylvinyl or an isoxazol‐3‐ylvinyl side chain likewise showed good antiproliferative activity but were significantly less potent than the parent epothilone A. Surprisingly, the desaturation of the C(10)?C(11) bond in these analogs was associated with a virtually complete loss in antiproliferative activity, which likely reflects a requirement for a ca. 60 ° C(10)?C(11) torsion angle in the tubulin‐bound conformation of 12,13‐trans‐epothilones.     

Development of a common fully stereocontrolled access to the medicinally important and promising prostacyclin analogues iloprost, 3-oxa-iloprost and cicaprost

We describe new fully stereocontrolled syntheses of the prostacyclin analogues iloprost (2), the most active component of the drugs Ilomedin and Ventavis, and 3-oxa-iloprost (3), a derivative that is expected to have a significantly higher metabolic stability than 2 perhaps allowing an oral application. The syntheses are based on the same strategy and chiral bicyclic building block as used in the synthesis of cicaprost (4), the third most potent analogue that exhibits, besides prostacyclin-like activities, antimetastatic activities. Reaction of the enantiopure C6-C13 bicyclic aldehyde 17 with Cl(3)CCOOH/Cl(3)CCOONa afforded trichlorocarbinol 24 which was converted via mesylate 25 to the C6-C14 bicyclic alkyne 9. The palladium-catalysed hydrostannylation of alkyne 9 gave with high regio- and stereoselectivity the alkenylstannane 26, Sn/Li exchange of which afforded the E-configured alkenyllithium derivative 8. Coupling of the C6-C14 building block 8 with the enantiopure C15-C20 building block, the N-methoxyamide 7, gave the C6-C20 bicyclic ketone 6 in high yield without epimerisation at C16. The configuration at C15 of iloprost (2) and 3-oxa-iloprost (3) was established through a highly diastereoselective reduction of ketone 6 with catecholborane and the chiral oxazaborolidine 28 which furnished alcohol (15S)-29. The highly stereoselective conversions of alcohol (15S)-29 to iloprost (2) and 3-oxa-iloprost (3), which include as key stereoselective steps an olefination with a chiral phosphonoacetate and a copper-mediated allylic alkylation, have already been described.     

Perturbation of conjugation in allylic lithium compounds due to stereochemical control of internal lithium coordination: crystallography, NMR, and calculational studies

Several allylic lithium compounds have been prepared with ligands tethered at C(2). These are with (CH(3)OCH(2)CH(2))(2)NCH(2)-, 6, 1-TMS 5, 1,3-bis(TMS) 8, and 1,1,3-tris(TMS) 9. Allylic lithiums with (CH(3)OCH(2)CH(2))(2)NCH(2)C(CH(3))(2)-, are 10, 1-TMS 11, and 1,3-bis(TMS), 12 compounds with -C(CH(3))(2)CH(2)N-((S)-(2-methoxymethyl)-pyrrolidino) at C(2) 13, 1-TMS 14, and 1,3-bis(TMS) 15. In the solid state, 8-10 and 12 are monomers, 6 and 13 are Li-bridged dimers, and 5 and 7 are polymers. In solution (NMR data), 5, 7-12, 14, and 15 are monmeric, and 6 is a dimer. All samples show lithium to be closest to one of the terminal allyl carbons in the crystal structures and to exhibit one-bond (13)C-(7)Li or (13)C(1)-(7)Li spin coupling, for the former typically ca. 3 Hz and for the latter 6-8 Hz. In every structure, the C(1)-C(2) allyl bond is longer than the C(2)-C(3) bond, and both lie between those for solvated delocalized and unsolvated localized allylic lithium compounds, respectively, as is also the case for the terminal allyl (13)C NMR shifts. Lithium lies 40-70 degrees off the axis perpendicular to the allyl plane at C(1). These effects are variable, so the trend is that the differences between the C(1)-C(2) and C(2)-C(3) bond lengths, (13)delta(3)-(13)delta(1) values, and the (13)C(1)-(7)Li or (13)C-(6)Li coupling constants all increase with decreasing values of the torsional angle that C(1)-Li makes with respect to the allyl plane.     

Synthesis of novel discodermolide analogues with modified hydrogen-bonding donor/acceptor sites

A series of novel structural analogues of the potent microtubule-stabilizing anticancer agent discodermolide were synthesised, with modifications in the C16-C20 region to create new oxygenated H-bonding donor/acceptor sites for tubulin binding. By starting from an advanced C9-C24 intermediate, fully synthetic discodermolide analogues, incorporating either an additional hydroxyl group 3, an oxetane 4 or a cyclic carbonate 5, were obtained in 10 or 11 steps by using a versatile aldol construction of the C6-C7 bond.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-amphidinolide t1

An enantioselective first total syntheis of amphidinolide T1 (1) is described. Amphidinolide T1 (1), a 19-membered macrolide isolated from Amphidinium sp., has shown potent antitumor properties against a variety of NCI tumor cell lines. The synthesis is convergent and involves the assembly of C1-C10 segment 2 and C11-C21 segment 3 by an oxocarbenium ion-mediated alkylation and Yamaguchi macrolactonization sequence. The synthesis of fragment 2 involves an efficient cross metathesis and hydrogenation sequence between the terminal olefins of 5 and 6 to form the C4-C5 carbon-carbon bond. Enol ether 4 is designed to be the surrogate of fragment 3 where the sensitive C16-exo-methylene and the C13-hydroxyl group were protected as the bromoether derivative during the Lewis acid-catalyzed alkylation process. Both stereocenters in fragment 5 as well as the C2 and C3 stereocenters in fragment 4 are accessed by a highly diastereoselective ester-derived titanium enolate-mediated syn-aldol reaction. The bromoether derivative 24 was unraveled at the final stage of the synthesis, providing (+)-amphidinolide T1.     

Total syntheses of (+)-tedanolide and (+)-13-deoxytedanolide

Convergent total syntheses of the potent cytotoxins (+)-tedanolide (1) and (+)-13-deoxytedanolide (2) are described. The carbon framework of these compounds was assembled via a stereoselective aldol reaction that unifies the C(1)-C(12) ketone fragment 5 with a C(13)-C(23) aldehyde fragment 6 (for 13-deoxytedanolide) or 52 (for tedanolide). Multiple obstacles were encountered en route to (+)-1 and (+)-2 that required very careful selection and orchestration of the stereochemistry and functionality of key intermediates. Chief among these issues was the remarkable stability and lack of reactivity of hemiketals 33b and 34 that prevented the tedanolide synthesis from being completed from aldol 4. Key to the successful completion of the tedanolide synthesis was the observation that the 13-deoxy hemiketal 36 could be oxidized to C(11,15)-diketone 38 en route to 13-deoxytedanolide. This led to the decision to pursue the tedanolide synthesis via C(15)-(S)-epimers, since this stereochemical change would destabilize the hemiketal that plagued the attempted synthesis of tedanolide via C(15)-(R) intermediates. However, use of C(15)-(S)-configured intermediates required that the side-chain epoxide be introduced very late in the synthesis, owing to the ease with which the C(15)-(S)-OH cyclized onto the epoxide of intermediate 50.     

Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase. Mechanism-based inhibition by diene analogues of isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate

Isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IDI) catalyzes the interconversion of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP). This is an essential step in the mevalonate entry into the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway. The isomerization catalyzed by type I IDI involves protonation of the carbon-carbon double bond in IPP or DMAPP to form a tertiary carbocation, followed by deprotonation. Diene analogues for DMAPP (E-2-OPP and Z-2-OPP) and IPP (4-OPP) were synthesized and found to be potent active-site-directed irreversible inhibitors of the enzyme. X-ray analysis of the E.I complex between Escherichia coli IDI and 4-OPP reveals the presence of two isomers that differ in the stereochemistry of the newly formed C3-C4 double bond in the hydrocarbon chain of the inhibitor. In both adducts C5 of the inhibitor is joined to the sulfur of C67. In these structures the methyl group formed upon protonation of the diene moiety in 4-OPP is located near E116, implicating that residue in the protonation step.     

Crotylsilane reagents in the synthesis of complex polyketide natural products: total synthesis of (+)-discodermolide

An efficient, highly convergent stereocontrolled synthesis of (+)-discodermolide has been achieved with 2.1% overall yield (27 steps longest linear sequence). The absolute stereochemistry of the C1-C6 (12), C7-C14 (13), and C15-C24 (11) subunits was introduced using asymmetric crotylation methodology. Key elements of the synthesis include the use of hydrozirconation-cross-coupling methodology for the construction of C13-C14 (Z)-olefin, acetate aldol reaction to construct the C6-C7 bond and install the C7 stereocenter with high levels of 1,5-anti stereoinduction, and the use of palladium-mediated sp(2)-sp(3) cross-coupling reaction to join the advanced fragments, which assembled the carbon framework of discodermolide.     

Overcrowded 1,8-diazafluorenylidene-chalcoxanthenes. Introducing nitrogens at the fjord regions of bistricyclic aromatic enes

The effects of introducing nitrogen atoms in the fjord regions and chalcogen bridges on the conformations of overcrowded bistricyclic aromatic enes (1, X not equal to Y) (BAEs) were studied. 9-(9'H-1',8'-Diazafluoren-9'-ylidene)-9H-thioxanthene (12), 9-(9H-1',8'-diazafluoren-9'-ylidene)-9H-selenoxanthene (13), 9-(9'H-1',8'-diazafluoren-9'-ylidene)-9H-telluroxanthene (14), 9-(9' H-1',8'-fluoren-9-ylidene)-9H-xanthene (15) and 9-(9' H-1',8'-fluoren-9'-ylidene)-9H-fluorene (16) were synthesized by two-fold extrusion coupling reactions of 1,8-diaza-9H-fluoren-9-one (19)/chalcoxanthenthiones (24-27) (or /9H-fluorene-9-thione (30)). The 1',8'-diazafluoren-9-ylidene-chalcoxanthenes (11) were compared with the respective fluoren-9-ylidene-chalcoxanthenes (10). The structures of 12-16 were established by 1H, 13C, 77Se, and 125Te NMR spectroscopies. The crystal and molecular structures of 12-14 were determined by X-ray analysis. The yellow molecules of 12-14 adopted mono-folded conformations with folding dihedrals in the chalocoxanthylidene moieties of 62.7 degrees (12), 62.4 degrees (13) and 59.9 degrees (14). The folding dihedrals in the respective 1',8'-diazafluorenylidene moieties were very small, ca. 2 degrees, compared with 10.2/8.0 degrees in (9'H-fluoren-9'-ylidene)-9H-selenoxanthene (7). A 5 degree pure twist of C9=C9' in 14 is noted. The degrees of overcrowding in the fjord regions of 12-14 (intramolecular non-bonding distances) were relatively small. The degrees of pyramidalization of C9 and C9' were 17.0/3.0 degrees (12), 17.4/2.4 degrees (13) and 2.2/2.2 degrees (14). These high values in 12 and 13 stem from the resistance of the 1.8-diazafluorenylidene moiety to fold and from the limits in the degrees of folding of the thioxanthylidene and selenoxanthylidene moieties (due to shorter S10-C4a/S10-C10a and Se10-C4a/Se10-C10a bonds, as compared with the respective Te-C bonds in 14). The molecules of 15 and 16 adopt twisted conformations, a conclusion drawn from the 1H NMR chemical shifts of the fjord regions protons (H1 and H8) at 8.70 (15) and 9.00 ppm (16) and from their colors and UV/VIS spectra: 15 is purple (lambdamax = 521 nm) and 16 is orange-red. A comparison of the NMR spectra of 11 and 10 (deltadelta = delta(11) -delta(10)) showed substantial downfield shifts of 0.56-0.62 ppm of the fjord regions protons of twisted 15 and 16: deltadelta (C9) were negative (upfield): -4.0 (12), -3.7 (13), -3.4 (14), -7.1 (15), -5.0 ppm (16), while deltadelta (C9') were positive (downfield) = +6.8 (12), +6.5 (13), +5.8 (14), + 11.7 (15), +7.7 ppm (16). In 15, deltadelta (C9) - deltadelta (C9') = + 18.8 ppm, attributed to a push-pull character and significant contributions of zwitterionic structures in the twisted conformation. The 77Se and 125Te NMR signals of 13 and 14 were shifted upfield relative to the respective fluorenylidene-chalcoxanthene derivatives: deltadelta77Se = 17.2 ppm and deltadelta125Te = 22.0 ppm. The presence of the nitrogen atoms (N1' and N8') in 13 and 14 causes shielding of the selenium and tellurium nuclei.     

Gas-phase electron diffraction studies on two 11-vertex Dicarbaboranes, closo-2,3-C2B9H11 and nido-2,9-C2B9H13

The molecular structures of two carbaboranes, closo-2,3-C(2)B(9)H(11) and nido-2,9-C(2)B(9)H(13), were determined experimentally for the first time using gas-phase electron diffraction (GED). For closo-2,3-C(2)B(9)H(11), a model with C(2)(v)() symmetry was refined to give C-B bond distances ranging 158.3-167.0 pm and B-B distances ranging 177.4-200.0 pm. The structure of nido-2,9-C(2)B(9)H(13) was refined using a model with C(s)() symmetry to give C-B bond lengths ranging 160.3-171.9 pm and B-B lengths ranging 173.0-196.1 pm. Ab initio computations (up to MP2/6-311+G) were also carried out on these and the related nido-7,8-C(2)B(9)H(13), which was not sufficiently stable to allow determination of its molecular structure by GED.