Crystallographic characterizations and new high-yield synthetic routes for the complete series of 6-X-B10H13 halodecaboranes (X = F, Cl, Br, I) via superacid-induced cage-opening reactions of closo-B10H10(2-).

The high-yield syntheses of 6-X-B 10H 13 [X = Cl (88%), Br (96%), I (84%)] resulted from the cage-opening reactions of the (NH 4 (+)) 2B 10H 10 (2-) salt with ionic-liquid-based superacidic hydrogen halides, while both the previously unknown 6-F-B 10H 13 (77%) derivative and 6-Cl-B 10H 13 (90%) were synthesized in high yields via the reactions of (NH 4 (+)) 2B 10H 10 (2-) with triflic acid in the presence of 1-fluoropentane and dichloromethane, respectively. Structural characterizations of 1- 4 confirm the predicted structures and indicate strong halogen back-bonding interactions with the B6 boron. The reaction of 6-Br-B 10H 13 with Bu 3SnH produced the parent B 10H 14 in 70% yield, and thus, this reaction, in conjunction with the haloacid-induced closo-B 10H 10 (2-) cage-opening reactions, has the potential to provide an alternative to the traditional diborane pyrolysis route to decaborane.