Carboranes and metallacarboranes

Question 1

Uses of carboranes

Answer 1

heat stable polymers, 10B neutron capture therapy, ligands in catalysis, ceramic precursors (boron carbide)

Question 2

Isolobal principle

Answer 2

BH- and CH are isolobal. Their frontier orbitals have the same symmetry properties, approximately similar energies the same number of electrons (for cluster bonding)

Question 3

Wade’s rules - transition metals

Answer 3

x = V + n -12 (V = # valence electrons, n = # e-s donated by ligands)

Question 4

Wade’s rules - main group elements

Answer 4

x = V + n - 2

Question 5

CH - #e-s

Answer 5

3

Question 6

BH - #e-s

Answer 6

2