Dr. Narayan S. Hosmane of the Chemistry Department, Southern Methodist University, is being supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Program to synthesize extended cage carborane species and characterize their electrochemical, structural, and spectral properties. These novel compounds will contain main group and early transition metal elements "sandwiched" between carborane cages which are linked to form chains. To accomplish the synthesis, Hosmane will take advantage of the stabilization afforded carborane cages by attachment of the C-trimethylsilyl group. Stable carborane carbanions are to be generated by stepwise removal of these silyl groups. In addition, metallocarborane cages linked by pyrimidine will be synthesized. %%% The compounds to be prepared are unusual in terms of bonding, structure, and reactivity. As a result, production of stable species with interesting electronic properties is a possible outcome. More importantly, fundamental information will be obtained on the electrochemical properties of a class of compounds which has not been studied previously. Also, designed synthesis of extended arrays and development of a means of activating carborane cages are important developments in borane and carborane chemistry and have implications for transition metalloborane and metallocarborane cluster chemistry.
