Bis(tetraethylammonium) dodecacyanododecaborate(2−)

The title compound, 2C 8 H 20 N + ·B 12 C 12 N 12 2− , was prepared using microwave-promoted cross-coupling and crystallized from an acetonitrile-water solution. The structure was determined at 101 K, indicating the title compound crystallizes in the trigonal space group P 3 and features a B 12 (CN) 12 2− subunit with nearly icosahedral symmetry. The anionic subunit interacts with the Et 4 N + cation in the structure by multiple weak C sp 3 –H...N hydrogen bonds between CN groups on the anion and methyl and methylene H atoms on the cation.