892965-04-7Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Fluorinated 9-borafluorenes vs. conventional perfluoroaryl boranes - Comparative Lewis acidity
Chase, Preston A.,Romero, Patricio E.,Piers, Warren E.,Parvez, Masood,Patrick, Brian O.
, p. 2098 - 2105 (2007/10/03)
Perfluorinated 9-phenyl-9-borafluorene, 1, is an antiaromatic analog of the well-known tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. Spectroscopic, structural, and electrochemical studies have been performed on 1 and its Lewis base adducts with MeCN, THF, and PMe3 with a view to assessing its comparative Lewis acid strength relative to B(C6F5)3. For the sterically undemanding Lewis base MeCN, 1 and B(C6F5) 3 have comparable LA strengths, while for more sterically prominent THF, 1 is clearly the stronger Lewis acid (LA) based on competition experiments. We conclude that steric factors, rather than antiaromaticity, are the most important determinants in the LA strength differences between 1 and B(C 6F5)3.
