Phosphacarborane chemistry. New cluster isomers in the eleven-vertex nido-phosphadicarbaborane series: synthesis of the nido phosphadicarbaboranes 7,8,11-PC2B8H11, [7,8,11-PC2B8H10]− and 7-Ph-7,8,10-PC2B8H10

The reaction between Na2[nido-6,9-C2B8H10] (glyme, RT, 24 h) and PCl3 produced the neutral phoshadicarbaborane nido-7,8,11-PC2B8H11 (35%), which can be quantitatively deprotonated by proton sponge to give the corresponding [7,8,11-nido-PC2B8H10]− anion. A similar reaction using PhPCl2 as the phosphorus source yielded the isomeric compound 7-Ph-7,8,10-nido-PC2B8H10 (64%), as well as nido-7,8,11-PC2B8H11 (14%) resulting from an accompanying dephenylation process.