The Effect of Carborane Substituents on the Lewis Acidity of Boranes

Abstract

The Lewis acidity of primary, secondary, and tertiary boranes with phenyl, pentafluorophenyl, and all three isomers of the C-substituted icosahedral carboranes (<i>ortho</i>, <i>meta</i>, and <i>para</i>) was investigated by computing their fluoride, hydride, and ammonia affinities as well as their global electrophilicity indices and LUMO energies. From these calculations, it was determined that the substituent effects on the Lewis acidity of these boranes follow the trend of <i>ortho</i>-carborane > <i>meta</i>-carborane > <i>para</i>-carborane > C₆F₅ > C₆H₅.