Through-shell alkyllithium additions and borane reductions

The through-shell borane reduction and methyllithium addition to benzaldehyde (1), benzocyclobutenone (2), and benzocyclobutenedione (3) incarcerated inside a hemicarcerand (4) with four tetramethylenedioxy bridges are reported. All guests could be reduced and methylated. Selective monoreduction and monomethylation were observed for 3. In the methyllithium addition to 4[symbol: see text]3, the initially formed lithium alcoholate underwent a Moore rearrangement. The reactivity of the incarcerated guests toward methyllithium increased in the order 1 < 2 < 3 and toward borane in the order 1 < 2 approximately equal 3. Guest reactivity was correlated with the inner-phase location of the reacting carbonyl group in the preferred guest inner-phase orientation. The latter was determined from the X-ray structures of 4[symbol: see text]1, 4[symbol: see text]2, and 4[symbol: see text]3, from molecular mechanical calculations, and from the hemicarcerand-induced upfield shift of the guest proton resonances. In the methyllithium and n-butyllithium addition to 4[symbol: see text]1 and 4[symbol: see text]3 at elevated temperatures, selective cleavage of a host's spanner or tetramethylenedioxy bridge, respectively, was observed. The cleavage of one spanner also took place in the methyllithium addition to the 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone hemicarceplex. These scission reactions are initiated by the initially formed lithium alcoholates, which show enhanced basicity and nucleophilicity in the inner phase as compared to the bulk phase. Mechanisms for the host scission reactions are discussed.     

Hydrocarbon-Soluble Mercuracarborands: Syntheses, Halide Complexes, and Supramolecular Chemistry

The syntheses of macrocyclic species composed of carborane derivatives joined via their carbon vertices by electrophilic mercury atoms are described. The reaction of closo-1,2-Li(2)[C(2)B(10)H(10)(-)(x)()R(x)()] with HgI(2) gives Li(2)[(1,2-C(2)B(10)H(10)(-)(x)()R(x)()Hg)(4)I(2)] [R = Et, x = 2 (5.I(2)Li(2)); R = Me, x = 2 (6.I(2)Li(2)); R = Me, x = 4 (7.I(2)Li(2))]. 6.I(2)(K.[18]dibenzocrown-6)(2) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/m [a = 28.99(2) ?, b = 18.19(1) ?, c = 13.61(1) ?, beta = 113.74(2) degrees, V = 6568 ?(3), Z = 4, R = 0.060, R(w) = 0.070]; 7.I(2)(NBu(4))(2) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c [a = 12.77(1) ?, b = 21.12(2) ?, c = 20.96(2) ?, beta = 97.87(2) degrees, V = 5600 ?(3), Z = 2, R = 0.072, R(w) = 0.082]. The precursor to 7, closo-8,9,10,12-Me(4)-1,2-C(2)B(10)H(8) (4), is made in a single step by reaction of closo-1,2-C(2)B(10)H(12) with MeI in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. The free hosts 5, 6, and 7 are obtained by reaction of the iodide complexes with stoichiometric quantities of AgOAc. A (199)Hg NMR study indicates that sequential removal of iodide from 5.I(2)Li(2) and 6.I(2)Li(2) with aliquots of AgOAc solution leads to formation of two intermediate host-guest complexes in solution, presumed to be 5(6)ILi and 5(2)(6)(2).ILi. Crystals grown from a solution of 6.I(2)Li(2) to which 1 equiv of AgOAc solution had been added proved to be an unusual stack structure with the formula 6(3).I(4)Li(4) [tetragonal, I4/m, a = 21.589(2) ?, c = 21.666(2) ?, V = 10098 ?(3), Z = 2, R = 0.058, R(w) = 0.084]. Addition of 2 equiv of NBu(4)Br ion to 5 or 6 gives 5.Br(2)(NBu(4))(2) and 6.Br(2)(NBu(4))(2), respectively, while addition of 1 equiv of KBr to 6 forms 6.BrK. 5.Br(2)(NBu(4))(2) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr;, [a = 10.433(1) ?, b = 13.013(1) ?, c = 15.867(2) ?, alpha = 91.638(2) degrees, beta = 97.186(3) degrees, gamma = 114.202(2) degrees, V = 1492 ?(3), Z = 1, R = 0.078, R(w) = 0.104]. The hosts 5 and 6 form 1:1 supramolecular adducts with the polyhedral anions B(10)I(10)(2)(-) and B(12)I(12)(2)(-) in solution.     

Integral equation formulation for buoyancy-driven convection problems

An integral equation formulation for buoyancy-driven convection problems is developed and illustrated. Buoyancy-driven convection in a bounded cylindrical geometry with a free surface is studied for a range of aspect ratios and Nusselt numbers. The critical Rayleigh number, the nature of the cellular motion, and the heat transfer enhancement are computed using linear theory. Green's functions are used to convert the linear problem into linear Fredholm integral equations. Theorems are proved which establish the properties of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the linear integral operator which appears in these equations.     

Aromatic Polyhedral Hydroxyborates: Bridging Boron Oxides and Boron Hydrides

No explosion , but per-B-hydroxylation occurs if the icosahedral boron hydrides [closo-B₁₂H₁₂]²⁻ (see picture), [closo-CB₁₁H₁₂]⁻, or closo-1,12-(CH₂OH)₂-1,12-C₂B₁₀H₁₀ are refluxed in 30 % hydrogen peroxide. Thus, the three isoelectronic species [closo-B₁₂(OH)₁₂]²⁻, [closo-1-H-1-CB₁₁(OH)₁₁]⁻, and closo-1,12-H₂-1,12-C₂B₁₀(OH)₁₀ were obtained. ○=BH, ○=BOH.     

Synthesis, structure, and reactivity of closo-2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11-decahydroxy-1,12-bis(sulfonic acid)-1,12-dicarbadodecaborane(12).

The reaction of closo-1,12-bis(lithio)-1,12-dicarbadodecaborane(12) (1,12-bis(lithio)-p-carborane) with SO(2) formed closo-1,12-bis(lithiosulfinato)-p-carborane (10) in nearly quantitative yield. The latter was converted to closo-1,12-bis(sulfinic acid)-p-carborane (13) via H(+)-exchange. The corresponding 1,12-bis(sulfonic acid) derivative of p-carborane (12) was obtained in high yield by treating 10 with SO(2)Cl(2) and subsequent AlCl(3) mediated hydrolysis of the closo-1,12-bis(chlorosulfonyl)-p-carborane intermediate. The exhaustive oxidation of 12 in hot aqueous H(2)O(2) (30%) afforded B-decahydroxy-1,12-bis(sulfonic acid)-p-carborane (15) in 40% yield. As a byproduct, closo-B-decahydroxy-1-sulfonic acid-p-carborane (14) was formed. Both 14 and 15 were also obtained from the hydroxylation of 10 and 13. Compound 14 was obtained directly in 88% yield by heating 1-sulfinic acid-p-carborane (17) in H(2)O(2) (30%). Compound 17 was synthesized from diphenylmethylsilyl-protected p-carborane by using the method employed in the synthesis of 13. The X-ray structures of 15, its disodium salt, and its dipotassium salt are presented and discussed. Exhaustive methylation of 15 with methyl triflate furnishes closo-B-decamethoxy-1,12-bis(methyl sulfonate)-p-carborane (20). The characterization of closomer 20 also includes its crystal structure determination.