Mathias Häring, Christoph Kerpen, Tatjana Ribbeck, Philipp T. Hennig, Rüdiger Bertermann, Nikolai V. Ignat’ev, Maik Finze

• A series of unprecedently air-stable (tricyanoboryl)plumbate anions was obtained by the reaction of the boron-centered nucleophile B(CN)\(_{3}\)\(^{2-}\) with triorganyllead halides. Salts of the anions [R\(_{3}\)PbB(CN)\(_{3}\)]\(^{-}\) (R=Ph, Et) were isolated and found to be stable in air at room temperature. In the case of Me\(_{3}\)PbHal (Hal=Cl, Br), a mixture of the anions [Me\(_{4-n}\)Pb{B(CN)\(_{3}\)}\(_{n}\)]\(^{n-}\) (n=1, 2) was obtained. The [Et\(_{3}\)PbB(CN)\(_{3}\)]− ion undergoes stepwise dismutation in aqueous solution toA series of unprecedently air-stable (tricyanoboryl)plumbate anions was obtained by the reaction of the boron-centered nucleophile B(CN)\(_{3}\)\(^{2-}\) with triorganyllead halides. Salts of the anions [R\(_{3}\)PbB(CN)\(_{3}\)]\(^{-}\) (R=Ph, Et) were isolated and found to be stable in air at room temperature. In the case of Me\(_{3}\)PbHal (Hal=Cl, Br), a mixture of the anions [Me\(_{4-n}\)Pb{B(CN)\(_{3}\)}\(_{n}\)]\(^{n-}\) (n=1, 2) was obtained. The [Et\(_{3}\)PbB(CN)\(_{3}\)]− ion undergoes stepwise dismutation in aqueous solution to yield the plumbate anions [Et4\(_{4-n}\)Pb{B(CN)\(_{3}\)}\(_{n}\)]\(^{n-}\) (n=1–4) and PbEt\(_{4}\) as by-product. The reaction rate increases with decreasing pH value of the aqueous solution or by bubbling O\(_{2}\) through the reaction mixture. Adjustment of the conditions allowed the selective formation and isolation of salts of all anions of the series [Et\(_{4-n}\)Pb{B(CN)\(_{3}\)}\(_{n}\)]\(^{n-}\) (n=2–4) including the homoleptic tetraanion [Pb{B(CN)\(_{3}\)}\(_{4}\)]\(^{4-}\).…