Theoretical refinements of theendo and theexo structures of tetraborane(8) carbonyl

The molecular structures of theendo (1a) andexo (1b) isomers of B₄H₈CO have been optimized at the ab initio MP2(Full)/6-31G^* level of theory. The agreement of the computed geometrical parameters with the recently published electron-diffraction (GED) data is very good, even though a number of geometrical constraints were applied in the experimental determination. The IGLO (individual gauge for localized orbitals)¹¹B NMR chemical shifts, calculated at the II//MP2/6-31G^* level, are also in accord with experiment. The formation of1a and1b by association of B₄H₈ and CO is computed to be exothermic by 22.8 and 22.2 kcal/mol, respectively, at the MP2(Full)/6-31G^*//MP2(Full)/6-31G^* + ZPE(6-31G^*) level of theory. The Lewis acid strength of B₄H₈ toward CO is comparable to that of BH₃.