Undecahalo‐closo‐undecaborates [B11Hal11]2–

The closo‐undecaborate A₂[B₁₁H₁₁] (A = NBzlEt₃) can be halogenated with excess N‐chlorosuccine imide, bromine or iodine, respectively, to give the perhalo‐closo‐undecaborates A₂[B₁₁Hal₁₁] (Hal = Cl, Br, I). The chlorination in the 11 : 1 ratio of the reagents yields A₂[B₁₁HCl₁₀], whose subsequent iodination makes A₂[B₁₁Cl₁₀I] available. The three type [B₁₁Hal₁₁]^2– anions show only one and the two type [B₁₁Cl₁₀X]^2– anions (X = H, I) only two ¹¹B NMR peaks in the ratio 10 : 1, thus exhibiting the same degenerate rearrangement of the octadecahedral B₁₁ skeleton as is well‐known for [B₁₁H₁₁]^2–. The crystal structure analysis of A₂[B₁₁Br₁₁] and A₂[B₁₁I₁₁] reveals a rigid octadecahedral skeleton in the solid state, up to 330 K, whose B–B bond lengths deviate more or less from the idealized C_2v gas phase structure, but are in good accordance with the distances of A₂[B₁₁H₁₁]. Electrochemical experiments elucidate the mechanism of the known oxidation of [B₁₁H₁₁]^2– to give [B₂₂H₂₂]^2–: A first one‐electron transfer is followed by the dimerization of the [B₁₁H₁₁]^– monoanion, whereas neutral B₁₁H₁₁, a presumably most reactive species, does not play a role as an intermediate. The electrochemical oxidation of [B₁₁Hal₁₁]^2– anions also starts with a one‐electron transfer, which is perfectly reversible only in the case of Hal = Br. There is no electrochemical indication for the formation of [B₂₂Hal₂₂]^2–. The neutral species B₁₁Hal₁₁ should be a short‐lived, very reactive species.