The synthesis and structural characterization of carborane oligomers connected by carbon-carbon and carbon-boron bonds between icosahedra

The reaction of dilithiated o-carborane (closo-1,2-Li₂-1,2-C₂B₁₀H₁₀) with CuCl₂ gives 1,1′-bis(o-carborane) (1), 1,3′-bis(o-carborane) (2) and 1,4′-bis(o-carborane) (3). Compound 2 (C₄B₂₀H₂₂) crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/n with A = 6.9275(6), B = 9.7655(8), C = 12.356(1) Å, β = 90.028(2)° and Z = 2. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to R = 0.048 and R_w = 0.074. Compound 3 (C₄B₂₀H₂₂) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ with A = 6.8854(5), B = 12.523(1), C = 19.847(1) Å and Z = 4. The structure was solved by direct methods and refined to R = 0.078 and R_w = 0.091. The coupling reaction of dilithiated m-carborane (closo-1,7-Li₂-1,7-C₂B₁₀H₁₀) with CuCl₂ results in the formation of 1,1′-bis(m-carborane) (4) and tetra(m-carborane) (5).