Classical Pentaborane(9) Chemistry Applied to the Preparation of Higher Boron Hydride Systems and Some Newer Aspects of the Chemistry of Pentaborane(9) and Decaborane(14)

摘要

The first investigations into boron hydride chemistry in the United States were initiated by Anton B. Burg and Herman I. Schlesinger at the University of Chicago in the early 1930s. The use of metal borohydrides led to later, high-yield preparations of B2H6, which has been one of the primary starting materials for higher boranes. This work was the foundation for the high-energy boron hydride based on fuels programs of the 1950s. As a result of this program there is now a large stockpile of pentaborane (9), B5H9. In view of the large stockpile of B5H9, workers from our laboratory as well as those from others set out to develop the fundamental chemistry of this boron hydride. These investigations led to the discovery and characterization of the octahydropentaborate(1-) anion,(B5H8) (-). Insertion reactions involving this anion were useful in preparing the new anion(B6H11) (-) and in improving the syntheses of hexaborane (10) and hexaborane (12). In this chapter, we describe some extensions of the classical chemistry of pentaborane(9) plus some newer aspects of pentaborane(9) and decaborane(14) chemistry. Reprints. (aw)