Structural studies of organoboron compounds. XXI. Crystal and molecular structures of 3-(phenylmethylidene)-4-methyl-1-phenyl-2,6,7-trioxa-3-azonia-1-boratabicyclo-[2.2.2]octane and N-(4-nitrophenylmethylidene)-5-methyl-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxa-2-bora-5-cyclohexaneamine N-oxide
Crystals of 3-(phenylmethylidene)-4-methyl-1-phenyl-2,6,7-trioxa-3-azonia-1-boratabicyclo[2.2.2]octane are orthorhombic, a = 8.0732(7), b = 11.8499(10), c = 31.679(2) Å, Z = 8, space group Pbca, and those of N-(4-nitrophenylmethylidene)-5-methyl-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxa-2-bora-5-cyclohexaneamine N-oxide are monoclinic, a = 6.1873(6), b = 23.206(2), c = 11.3081(11) Å, β = 92.326(5)°, Z = 4, space group P21/n. Both structures were solved by direct methods and were refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to final R values of 0.041 and 0.036 for 943 and 1679 reflections with I ≥ 3σ(I), respectively. Both compounds are condensation products of bis(hydroxyalkyl)nitrones and phenylboronic acid. 3-(Phenyl-methylidene)-4-methyl-1-phenyl-2,6,7-trioxa-3-azonia-1-boratabicyclo[2.2.2]octane was found to possess a bicyclic structure resulting from intramolecular O → B coordination (O—B = 1.604(7) Å) and is the first such bicyclic boron compound to be structurally characterized. In N-(4-nitrophenylmethylidene)-5-methyl-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxa-2-bora-5-cyclohexaneamine N-oxide, which has weakened nitrone basicity, the O → B interaction does not occur, resulting in a monocyclic system incorporating a trigonal planar boron atom.