Reaction of carboranyl boron-centered radicals with phosphites and the addition of carborane-containing and some other phosphoranyl radicals to 3,6-di-tert-butyl-ortho-benzoquinone

The preparative photolysis of bis(m-carboran-9-yl)mercury and bis(p-carboran-2-yl)-mercury with trimethyl phosphite leads to the dimethyl esters of m- and p-B-carboranylphosphonic acids. The reaction of carboranyl boron-centered radicals with phosphites occurs through the formation of a phosphoranyl radical. The addition of the phosphoranyl radicals derived from 2,6,7-tris(trichloromethyl)-3,5,8-trioxo-1,4-diphosphabicyclo(2.2.2)octane to 3,6-di-tert-butyl-ortho-benzoquinone was detected. ESR spectroscopy was used to observe the tautomeric transfers of the phosphoranyl group between the ortho-benzoquinone oxygen atoms.