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Pentaborane(11)

Pentaborane(11) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula B<sub>5</sub>H<sub>11</sub>. It is an obscure boron hydride cluster, especially relative to the heavily studied pentaborane(9) (B<sub>5</sub>H<sub>9</sub>). With two more hydrogen atoms than nido-pentaborane(9), pentaborane(11) is classified as an arachno- cluster.

Synthesis

Like many boron hydride clusters, pentaborane(11) was originally obtained from the pyrolysis of diborane. A more systematic synthesis entails treatment of [B<sub>4</sub>H<sub>9</sub>]<sup>−</sup> with boron tribromide. The Lewis acid abstracts hydride to give unstable B<sub>4</sub>H<sub>8</sub>, the precursor to B<sub>5</sub>H<sub>11</sub>:

[B<sub>4</sub>H<sub>9</sub>]<sup>−</sup> + BBr<sub>3</sub> → B<sub>4</sub>H<sub>8</sub> + HBBr<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>
2 B<sub>4</sub>H<sub>8</sub> → B<sub>5</sub>H<sub>11</sub> + "B<sub>3</sub>H<sub>5</sub>"

References