Rb2[B12(OH)12]•2H2O and Rb2[B12(OH)12]•2H2O2: Hydrate and perhydrolate of rubidium dodecahydroxo-closo-dodecaborate

The orthorhombically crystallizing salts Rb-2[B-12(OH)(12)]center dot 2H(2)O (a = 1576.81(9), b = 813.08(5), c = 1245.32(7) pm) and Rb-2[B-12(OH)(12)]center dot 2H(2)O(2) (a = 1616.54(9), b = 814.29(5), c = 1260.12(7) pm) could be prepared from Rb-2[B12H12] and hydrogen peroxide. Both crystal structures were determined by Xray single crystal diffraction and refined in the space group Cmce. They are not isostructural to the other compounds containing icosahedral dodecahydroxo-closo-dodecaborate dianions [B-12(OH)(12)](2-) and potassium, rubidium or cesium cations already known to literature, but both title compounds crystallize quasi-isotypically exhibiting Rb+ cations in 10-fold oxygen coordination. The hydrogen peroxide adduct (Rb-2[B-12(OH)(12)]center dot 2H(2)O(2)) is explosive on shock and heat, while the hydrate (Rb-2[B-12(OH)(12)]center dot 2H(2)O) is not. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.