Putting Small Metallacarboranes to Work: A Review

Abstract

The prospects for developing useful applications based on the chemistry of transition metal complexes of nido-2,3-RR'C2B4H42- and related small carborane ligands are reviewed, with primary emphasis on areas where their utility has been demonstrated in practice. Special attention is directed to the properties of small 6- and 7-vertex MC2B3 and MC2B4 clusters that distinguish them from their icosahedral metallacarborane congeners, and from structurally related metallocene sandwiches. A review with 43 references.