Synthesis, reactivity and structural studies of carboranyl thioethers and disulfides.

The equimolar reaction of 1-SH-2-R-1,2-closo-C2B10H10 (R = Me, H, Ph) with KOH in ethanol produces the thiolate species [1-S-2-R-1,2-closo-C2B10H10]−. These react with iodine to give the disulfide bridged dicluster (1-S-2-R-1,2-closo-C2B10H10)2 (R = H, Me, Ph) compounds as analytically pure, white and air-stable solids in high yield. Synthesis of monothioether bridged species is synthetically more difficult. In fact three procedures have been tested to obtain the thioether bridged dicluster compounds (2-R-1,2-closo-C2B10H10)2S (R = Me, H, Ph) but only (2-Me-1,2-closo-C2B10H10)2S was successfully synthesized and characterized. Attempts to produce mixed compounds (1-R-1,2-closo-C2B10H10)S(1-R…