Issue 42, 2019

Unique reactivity of B in B[Ge9Y3]3 (Y = H, CH3, BO, CN): formation of a Lewis base

Abstract

Boron compounds usually exhibit Lewis acidity at the boron center due to the presence of vacant p-orbitals. We show that this chemistry can be altered by an appropriate choice of ligands to decorate the boron center. To elucidate this effect, we studied the interactions of boron with two classes of ligands, one based on penta-substituted phenyl species (C6X5, X = F, BO, CN) and the other based on Zintl-ion-based groups (Ge9Y3, Y = H, CH3, BO, CN). An in-depth analysis of the charges and Fukui function values at the local atomic sites of the substituted boron derivatives B(C6X5)3 and B[Ge9Y3]3 shows that the B-center in the former is electrophilic, while it is nucleophilic in the latter. The chemical stability of the B[Ge9Y3]3 species is shown to be due to the presence of strong 2c-2e bonds between the B and Ge centers. Thus, the general notion of the Lewis acid nature of a boron center depends upon the choice of the ligand.

Graphical abstract: Unique reactivity of B in B[Ge9Y3]3 (Y = H, CH3, BO, CN): formation of a Lewis base

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
07 avq 2019
Accepted
19 avq 2019
First published
19 avq 2019

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019,21, 23301-23304

Author version available

Unique reactivity of B in B[Ge9Y3]3 (Y = H, CH3, BO, CN): formation of a Lewis base

G. N. Reddy, R. Parida, R. Inostroza-Rivera, A. Chakraborty, P. Jena and S. Giri, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2019, 21, 23301 DOI: 10.1039/C9CP04361F

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