16-Vertex oblato–hypho-titanaborane [(Cp*Ti)2B14H18]

Abstract

Although Lipscomb predicted in 1977 that supra-icosahedral boron clusters would be viable, their synthesis has been impeded by the unavailability of appropriate synthetic methodologies. Herein, we report the first examples of the open 16-vertex oblato–hypho-titanaborane clusters [(Cp*Ti)₂B₁₄H₁₇R] (1: R = H; 2: R = Me) having a non-Wadean 19-skeletal-electron-pair count. Interestingly, these clusters show a six-membered [Ti₂B₄] open face, which could lead to closo-19-vertex clusters.