Sterically hindered phosphine and arsine ligands derived from
ortho-carborane were synthesized and characterizedby X-ray crystallography. Tris(1'-methyl(1,2-dicarba-
closo-dodecaboran-1-yl))phosphine,
2 (crystal data, hexagonal,space group
P6
3,
a =
b = 12.251(3) Å,
c = 11.514(4) Å,
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
=
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
= 90
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
,
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
= 120
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
,
V = 1496.6(7) Å
3,
Z = 2,
R1 = 0.0568) and tris(1'-methyl(1,2-dicarba-
closo-dodecaboran-1-yl))arsine,
3 (crystal data, hexagonal, space group
P6
3,
a =
b = 12.330(3) Å,
c = 11.474(4) Å,
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
=
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
= 90
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
,
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
= 120
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
,
V =
1510.7(7) Å
3,
Z = 2,
R1 = 0.0930)were prepared in 82% and 68% yield, respectively. The phosphine ligand is resistant to air-oxidation but wasconverted to corresponding oxide when heated with hydrogen peroxide. The tertiary carboranyl phosphine reactedwith (Tht)AuCl to yield chloro(tris(1'-methyl(1,2-dicarba-
closo-dodecaboran-1-yl))phosphine)gold(I),
4 (crystal data,monoclinic, space group
P2
1/
c,
a = 19.101(4) Å,
b = 12.167(2) Å,
c = 13.846(3) Å,
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
=
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
= 90
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
,
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
= 91.13(3)
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
,
V = 3217.2(11) Å
3,
Z = 4,
R1 = 0.0396) in 82% yield. From the X-ray structure of the gold complex, thecone angle of the phosphine was determined to be 213(2)
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
, which is among the largest values reported to date.