Carborane radical anions: spectroscopic and electronic properties of a carborane radical anion with a 2n+3 skeletal electron count

One-electron reduction of the well-known carborane 1,2-Ph(2)-1,2- C(2)B(10)H(10) (1) gives rise to a stable carborane radical anion ([1](-)) with a true 2n + 3 cluster electron count; the geometry of ([1](-)) features an elongated C...C cage distance but no significant pi-bonding interactions between the cage and the phenyl substituents.