Crystal Structure of the Monocarborane Magnesium(II) Acetylide and Its Use in the Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated Ketones.

We report the first crystal structure of heteroleptic Grignard reagent 2 based on the carborane endo / exo dianion [CB 11 H 11 -12-C≡C] 2- . Full characterization reveals a rare coordination pattern and affirms the bimetallic nature. Navigating the reactivity landscape, we unlock the potential of 2 in nucleophilic addition with ketones to afford propargylic alcohols 3 , renowned for their synthetic versatility and potential biological activities, and unveil the Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, yielding α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds 4 . This narrative of synthesis, characterization, and reactivity opens new horizons for carborane chemistry, offering avenues for innovation and facile functionalization of carborane scaffolds.