Mercury derivatives of polyhedral boranes, carboranes, and metallacarboranes

Abstract

The review concerns the synthesis, structure, and chemical transformations of mercury derivatives of various polyhedral boron hydrides (carboranes, metallacarboranes, and boranes) and covers a period of time since the pioneering studies of Prof. V. I. Bregadze on chemistry of C- and B-substituted derivatives of icosahedral carboranes C₂B₁₀H₁₂ up to date. The emphasis is placed on recent results obtained in this field, in particular, Hg-promoted substitution in nido-carboranes as well as the synthesis and properties of mercury derivatives of monocarbon carborane anion [CB₁₁H₁₂]^–.