Patent ID: 7161040

Claim:
A method for making a carborane anion of formula R—CB n H m′ — where R is H, a halide, a phenyl group or a substituted phenyl group, n is an integer ranging from (5–11) which comprises the step of reacting a substituted carbene of formula: Y 1 Y 2 C: where Y 1 and Y 2 can be any of H, a halide, a phenyl group or substituted phenyl group with a borane anion of formula: B n H m —, in the presence of a strong base, wherein n, m and m′ are integers, n ranging from 5 to 11 and m and m′ ranging from 5 to 16 and wherein the relative values of n, m and m′ depend upon the exact structure of the borane starting material.