Zinc, cadmium, and mercury complexes of the dodecahydro-nido-decaborate(2–) ion

Abstract

Reaction of halogenomagnesium derivatives of decaborane(14), B₁₀H₁₃MgX, (X = Br, l), with alkylmercury(II) halides, RHgY, (R = Me; Y = Cl, Br, l: R = Et, Prⁿ; Y = Cl), in ether solvents, yields the solvated double salts of magnesium, (MgY₂)_x{Mg[Hg(B₁₀H₁₂)₂]}(solvent)_y, which dissolve in water to form the ion, [Hg(B₁₀H₁₂)₂]^2–, a formal mercury(II) complex of the dodecahydro-nido-decaborate(2-) ion, B₁₀H₁₂^2–. Physical data (including 28·87 MHz and 80·53 MHz ¹¹B n.m.r. spectra) for tetramethylammonium and triphenylmethylphosphonium salts of the anions, [Zn(B₁₀H₁₂)₂]^2–, [Cd(B₁₀H₁₂)₂]^2–, and [Hg(B₁₀H₁₂)₂]^2– are presented and correlated with their known structures in the solid state.