CONSTITUTION AND PROPERTIES OF THE 8,8(')-MU-H2NO (1,2-C2B9H10)2-3-COBRIDGED COBALTABORANE

Constitution of [GRAPHICS] sandwich has been elucidated 17 years after its first synthesis, via high resolution NMR methods supplemented by mass spectrometry. The species gives relevant ''oximes'' with acetone and benzaldehyde and is quantitatively methylated to the N,N'-dimethyl derivative, which shows an interesting redox disproportionation to a triatomically bridged sandwich with a 8,8'-mu-O-CH=N(Me)- bridge betwe en both ligands. Several other ''peculiar'' reactions of this dimethyl derivative are discussed. On reductive cleavage of the parent hydroxy lamine the non-bridged 8-HO-8-H3N(1,2-C3B3H10)2-3-Co zwitterion is obt ained. Mono-, di- and trimethylated derivatives of this non-bridged sp ecies are characterized.