Polyhedral organoiridaazaborane chemistry. The preparation of the eleven-vertex nido compound [9-Cl-8-(η5-C5Me5)-nido-8,7-IrNHB9H10] and its characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Reaction between nido-6-HNB9H11 (from[9-(MeNC)-arachno-6-HNB9H11] and [(η5-C5Me5).IrCl2]2 in the presence of N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylnaphthalene-1,8-diamine) gives [9-Cl-8-(η5-C5Me5)-nido-8,7-IrNHB9H10] as a yellow crystalline solid in 40% yield. Crystals are triclinic, space group P1, Z = 2, with a = 825.5(1), b = 986.4(2), c = 1 158.7(2) pm, α = 95.12(1), β = 91.00(1), γ = 111.90(1)°. The molecular structure is based on an open-faced nido {IrNB9} eleven-vertex polyhedron with the iridium and nitrogen atoms in adjacent positions in the open face. Nuclear magnetic single and multiple resonance spectroscopy assigns the cluster 11B and 1H resonances, and suggests strong electronic similarities to the sulphur-containing analogue [9-Cl-8-(η5-C5Me5)-nido-8,7-IrSB9H10].