Intramolecular oxidative addition of iridium to a boron-hydrogen bond of a complexed carboranylphosphine

When (Ir(C8H14)2Cl)2 is allowed to react at room temperature with 6 moles of 1-(Me2P)-1,2-C2B10H11 in cyclohexane and then heated at reflux for two hours, IrHCl(C2B10H10P(CH3)2)(CH3)2)(C2B10H11P(CH3)2)2 is formed in nearly quantitative yield. This is the first example of intramolecular oxidative addition of an 'ortho' B-H bond of a coordinated phosphine to a transition metal. (Author)