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Confirmed by X‐ray Crystallography: The B⋅B One‐Electron σ Bond
Author(s) -
Hübner Alexander,
Diehl Andreas M.,
Diefenbach Martin,
Endeward Burkhard,
Bolte Michael,
Lerner HansWolfram,
Holthausen Max C.,
Wagner Matthias
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201402158
Subject(s) - homonuclear molecule , crystallography , chemical bond , electron , chemistry , electron crystallography , ion , quantum chemical , molecule , physics , electron diffraction , organic chemistry , diffraction , quantum mechanics
Is one electron sufficient to bring about significant σ bonding between two atoms? The chemist’s view on the chemical bond is usually tied to the concept of shared electron pairs, and not too much experimental evidence exists to challenge this firm belief. Whilst species with the unusual one‐electron σ‐bonding motif between homonuclear atoms have so far been identified mainly by spectroscopic evidence, we present herein the first crystallographic characterization, augmented by a detailed quantum‐chemical validation, for a radical anion featuring a B⋅B one‐electron‐two‐center σ bond.