Thermal and photochemical pathways of a 10-vertex Rhodium metallaborane.

The thermal and photochemical pathway of compound 1 [6-( η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )- nido -6-RhB 9 H 13 ] is reported. Under thermal conditions, compound 1 was converted to [ hypercloso -( η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )RhB 9 H 9 ] ( 2 ) through the loss of two dihydrogen molecules in toluene. In contrast, under UV irradiation, compound 1 undergoes reactions in benzene to give the previously known compound [ nido -5-( η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )RhB 9 H 13 ] ( 3 ). The hypercloso compound 2 is the first Rhodium containing hypercloso -metalladecaborane, while the photochemically induced isomerization is unprecedented. The compounds were identified using spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]