The first half-sandwich d0-metallacarboranes stabilized by metal–nitrogen sigma bond using C(cage)-appended anionic alkylamido moiety: a synthetic investigation

The 1:1 molar reaction of the potassium/dilithium triple salt of the [nido-7-(NHCH2)-7,8-C2B9H10]3− trianion with anhydrous MCl4 in dry tetrahydrofuran (THF) at −78°C, followed by extraction with dry benzene and precipitation with n-pentane, resulted in the formation of the corresponding novel half-sandwich d0-metallacarborane, closo-1-M[(Cl)(THF)n]-2-(1-σ-NHCH2)-2,3-η5-C2B9H10 [M=Zr (3), n=1; Ti (4), n=0] in 57% and 49% yields, respectively.