Zwitterionic inorganic benzene valence isomer with σ-bonding between two π-orbitals

• Main Authors: Su, Bochao, Ota, Kei, Xu, Kai, Hirao, Hajime, Kinjo, Rei
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Science::Chemistry; Potassium; Hydrocarbons
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/139272
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Despite the large number of plausible isomers of benzene (C6H6), only four valence isomers [(CH)6] have been experimentally detected, all of which are nonionic and possess skeletal frameworks built from localized C-C bonds. Herein, we present the isolation of a diazatetraborabenzene analogue of a hypothetical zwitterionic valence isomer of benzene. Therein, two electrons are delocalized over the four boron atoms in the six-membered B4N2 ring, which is a result of the σ-bonding interaction between two odd-electron B-B π-orbitals. Simple treatment with a crown ether leads to the formation of a paramagnetic potassium-doped radical ion pair that exhibits a thermally populated triplet character.