Solvothermal synthesis and crystal structure of the novel closo 12-vertex nickeladodecaborane cluster H2[Cl2NiB11H6-2,3,4,5,6-(OiPr)5]

The reaction of [NiCl2(PPh3)(2)] with B11H14- in iPrOH under solvothermal conditions gives a nickeladodecaborane cluster: H-2[Cl2NiB11H6- 2,3,4,5,6-(OiPr)(5)] which was characterized by FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. It was also characterized by an X-ray diffraction study of a single crystal. The title cluster belongs to monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n, with crystal cell parameters: a = 12.355(13) angstrom, b = 18.471(19) angstrom, c = 12.956(14) angstrom, beta = 93.524(18)degrees, Z = 4, D-Calcd = 1.242 Mg m(-3), F(000) 1160, R-1 = 0.0746, wR(2) = 0.1829. The cluster has a closo 12-vertex {NiB11} icosahedral skeleton, in which Ni connects with two Cl atoms and five B atoms. OiPr groups substituted all five H atoms on the boron cage atoms adjacent to Ni.