Transition metal-free oxidative and deoxygenative C-H/C-Li cross-couplings of 2H-imidazole 1-oxides with carboranyl lithium as an efficient synthetic approach to azaheterocyclic carboranes.

The direct C-H functionalization methodology has first been applied to perform transition metal-free C-H/C-Li cross-couplings of 2H-imidazole 1-oxides with carboranyllithium. This atom- and step-economical approach, based on one-pot reactions of nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen (SN H) in non-aromatic azaheterocycles, affords novel imidazolyl-modified carboranes of two types (N-oxides and their deoxygenative analogues), which are particularly of interest in the design of advanced materials.