The first anionic four-connected boron imidazolate framework

Reported here is an organic-cation templated 4-connected anionic boron imidazolate framework [N(CH3)(4)][Cd(SH)(2)-B(im)(4)] (ABIF-1, im=imidazolyl), which is synthesized from the reaction of the supertetrahedral Cd10S4(SPh)(12) cluster with [N(CH3)(4)]Cl and NaB(im)(4). The work represents an important step in the expansion of boron imidazolate frameworks from neutral BIFs to anionic ABIFs.