Isolation and Characterization of Crystalline, Neutral Diborane(4) Radicals.

Diaryldihalodiboranes(4) were reacted with bis(amidinato)- and bis(guanidinato)silylenes to generate the first neutral diborane-centered radicals. These formally non-aromatic 5π electron systems are stable in the solid state as well as in solution and were characterized by solid-state structure determination, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and EPR spectroscopy. The reactivity of one of these radicals with the oxidant 1,4-benzoquinone led to ring-opening and B-O bond formation.