USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Eugene B Klusmann

Jerome F Ditter

The .beta.-methylation of 2,4-dicarba-closo-heptaborane-7 through the reaon of methyl chloride with the parent carborane in the presence of metal trichloride selected from the group consisting of aluminum chloride and ferric chloride in a methyl chloride-to-carborane mole ratio from 1:1 to 6:1 and a metal trichloride-to-carborane from 0.3:1 to 5:1 at a temperature from about 30.degree. C to about 60.degree. C and at a pressure of at least 50 psig.

Synthesis of .beta.-methyl derivatives of 2,4-dicarba-closo-heptaborane-7

A method for preparing a mixture of decaborane-14 and an alkyl-substituted ecaborane-14 which comprises admixing an ethereal solution of nonaborane-14 ions with an alkaliboron halide at a temperature from 20.degree. C to 30.degree. C and at pressure from atmospheric pressure to 400 psig and a method of preparing decaborane-14 which comprises preparing an ethereal solution of nonaborane-14 by a reaction in an ethereal solution of an alkali metal borohydride with an excess of pentaborane-9 at temperature from 20.degree. C to 30.degree. C and admixing this ethereal solution of nonaborane-14 ions with diborane-6 at a temperature from 20.degree. C to 30.degree. C and at a pressure of at least 50 psig. Such compounds are useful as precursor compounds for the synthesis of important carborane derivatives, such as n-hexylcarborane (a catalyst for rocket propellants) and high-temperature-resistant carborane/siloxane polymers.

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Eugene B Klusmann