Experimental and theoretical studies on group 1 metallacarboranes: Synthesis, structure and ab initio calculations of the NMR chemical shifts of the 1-(THF)-1-(TMEDA)-1-Na-2,4-(SiMe3)2-2,4-C2B4H5 and related carboranes

The reaction of gaseous HCl with either the disodium or dilithium compound of the [nido-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₄]²⁻ dianion (I) in 1:1 stoichiometry in THF produced the monoprotonated species 1-Na(THF)₂-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₅ (II) or 1-Li(THF)₂-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₅ (III), in 81% and 80% yields, respectively. This method proved superior to that involving the direct reduction of the closo-C₂B₄ carborane by metal hydrides. II and III were characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H, ¹¹B and ¹³C NMR and IR spectra. Compound II was recrystallized from a mixture THF, hexane and TMEDA (1:2:1) to isolate colorless crystals of the mixed solvated species, 1-(THF)-1-(TMEDA)-1-Na-2,4-(SiMe₃)₂-2,4-C₂B₄H₅ (IV), which were subsequently used for X-ray diffraction studies. The structure of IV showed that the capping metal occupied the apical position above the open C₂B₃ face of the carborane and that a hydrogen atom was bridging the two adjacent boron atoms on that face. The ¹¹B and ¹³C NMR spectra calculated by GIAO (gauge independent atomic orbital) methods at the 6-311G^** level on the B3LYP/6-31G^* optimized geometries of I–III, and a number of related nido- and closo-carboranes, gave excellent agreement with experiment, even in compounds where electron correlation effects are known to be important.