Synthesis and characterization of a new dicage ortho-carborane with a supramolecular structure directed by intermolecular C-H-carborane center dot center dot center dot O bonds

Reaction between [HC=CCH2SCH(CO2CH3)](2) (1) and the N,N-dimethylaniline ad duct of decaborane(14), [{C6H5(CH3)(2)N}(2)B10H12], in refluxing toluene, a ffords meso-2,3-bis-(1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaboran-1-yl-methylenethio)-dime thylsuccinate, [C2B10H11CH2SCH(CO2CH3)](2) (2). The species was characteriz ed by spectroscopic methods and a single crystal X-ray diffraction study. T he crystal structure of 2 reveals intermolecular hydrogen bonding involving the C-H unit of the carborane and the C=O group of the ester function, lea ding to a supramolecular assembly: one-dimensional ribbons packed in zigzag fashion on the be plane of the unit cell. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. A ll rights reserved.