Reactions of the dichloroboryl complex of osmium, Os(BCl2)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2, with water, alcohols, and amines: Crystal structures of Os[B(OH)2]Cl(CO)(PPh3)2, Os[B(OEt)2]Cl(CO)(PPh3)2, and Os[BN(CH3)C6H4N(CH3)]Cl(CO)(PPh3)2

Reaction between the dichloroboryl complex, Os(BCl2)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2, and water replaces both chloride substituents on the boryl ligand, without cleavage of the OsB bond, giving yellow Os[B(OH)2]Cl(CO)(PPh3)2 (1). Compound 1 can be regarded as an example of a ‘metalla–boronic acid’ (LnMB(OH)2) and in the solid state, X-ray crystal structure determination reveals that molecules of 1 are tetragonal pyramidal in geometry (OsB, 2.056(3) Å) and are arranged in pairs, as hydrogen-bonded dimers. This same arrangement is found in the crystalline state for simple boronic acids. Reaction between the dichloroboryl complex, Os(BCl2)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2, and methanol and ethanol produces yellow Os[B(OMe)2]Cl(CO)(PPh3)2 (2a) and yellow Os[B(OEt)2]Cl(CO)(PPh3)2 (2b), respectively. The crystal structure of 2b reveals a tetragonal pyramidal geometry with the diethoxyboryl ligand in the apical site and with an OsB bond distance of 2.081(5) Å. Reaction between Os(BCl2)Cl(CO)(PPh3)2, and N,N′-dimethyl-o-phenylenediamine and N,N′-dimethyl-ethylenediamine produces yellow (5) and yellow (6), respectively. Compounds 1, 2a, 2b, 5, and 6 all react with carbon monoxide to give the colourless, six-coordinate complexes Os[B(OH)2]Cl(CO)2(PPh3)2 (3), Os[B(OMe)2]Cl(CO)2(PPh3)2 (4a), Os[B(OEt)2]Cl(CO)2(PPh3)2 (4b), (7), and (8), respectively, but in the case of 6 only, this CO uptake is easily reversible. The crystal structure of 5 is also reported.