B-N bond formation through palladium-catalyzed, microwave-assisted cross-coupling of nitrogen compounds with iodo-dodecaborate.

Substituted undecahydrido-closo-dodecaborates [B12H11NR2]2- have potential use in materials and drugs, but have presented a synthetic challenge. Microwave-assisted palladium-catalyzed amination of iodo-dodecaborate [B12H11I]2- allows mild and reproducible formation of B-N bonds with aromatic amines, HN-containing heteroaromatics, and amides. The reaction allows general access to amides, reproducible reactions to dodecaborate-substituted anilines, and, for the first time, the substitution of dodecaborate with HN-containing heterocycles.