Reactivity of the dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborate anion in zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexation at the presence of azaheterocyclic ligands

• Cd(II) and Zn(II) complexation with the [B 12 H 12 ] 2– anion and ligands L have been studied. • 2,2′-Bipyridyl, 2,2′-bipyridylamine, and 1,10-phenanthroline have been used as ligands L. • Complexes with the inner-sphere and outer-sphere boron clusters have been isolated. • First cadmium(II) complex with the coordinated [B 12 H 12 ] 2– anion has been isolated. The process of zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexation with the dodecahydro- closo -dodecaborate anion in the presence of azaheterocyclic ligands L (L = bipy, bpa, phen) has been studied. A significant influence of the process parameters (the nature of the metal and azaheterocyclic ligands, the source of the metal and dodecahydro -closo -dodecaborate anion) on the composition and structure of the resulting compounds has been established. Complex [Cd(DMF) 6 ][B 12 H 12 ] has been found to be used as precursor for the synthesis of mixed-ligand complexes with the coordinated [B 12 H 12 ] 2– anion. The first example of a mixed-ligand binuclear cadmium(II) complex [Cd(bpa) 2 [μ-B 12 H 12 ]] 2 with the dodecahydro- closo -dodecaborate anion coordinated through a multicenter M−H(B) bond has been obtained and structurally characterized.