Transition metal mediated functionalization of o-carboranes

Carboranes are a class of boron hydride clusters in which one or more of the BH vertices are replaced by CH units.Unlike small boranes, carboranes are kinetically and thermodynamically very stable as well as relatively chemically inert, which are often called three-dimensional relatives of benzenes. They are finding many applications in medicine as boron neutron capture therapy（BNCT） agents, in nanomaterials/supramolecular design as building blocks, and as ligands for transition metals [1]. However, their unique structures make derivatization difficult, which limits their application scope.