Novel μ3-oxo complexes prepared from Cp*Zr(BH3R)3 (R = H, CH3) and B(C6F5)3 in diethyl ether

From the reactions of Cp*ZrCl(3) with 3 equiv. of LiBH(3)R (R = CH(3), Ph), the organotrihydroborate complexes, Cp*Zr(BH(3)CH(3))(3), 1, and Cp*Zr(BH(3)Ph)(3), 2, were isolated. One of the Zr-H-B bonding interactions in 2 could be described as an intermediate case between the bidentate and tridentate modes. Reactions of and Cp*Zr(BH(4))(3), 3, with Lewis acid B(C(6)F(5))(3) in diethyl ether produced the novel 14-electron ionic compounds [(micro(3)-O)(micro(2)-OC(2)H(5))(3){(Cp*Zr(OC(2)H(5)))(2)(BCH(3))}][HB(C(6)F(5))(3)], 4, and [(micro(3)-O)(micro(2)-OC(2)H(5))(3){(Cp*Zr(OC(2)H(5)))(2)(BOC(2)H(5))}][HB(C(6)F(5))(3)], 5, respectively. These two unique compounds resulted from a sequential cleavage of Zr-H-B bonds of 1 and 3 and C-O bonds of ether followed by the formation of O-B bonds. The solid state single crystal X-ray analyses revealed that both compounds have similar structures. A micro(3)-oxygen bridges two zirconiums and a boron atom. The latter three atoms are further connected by three micro(2)-bridging ethoxy groups giving rise to three four-membered metallacycles within the structure of each cation.