High-pressure behavior of α-Mn­(BH4)2 was studied up to 29.4 GPa in diamond anvil cells using powder X-ray diffraction combined with DFT calculations and Raman spectroscopy, and two new polymorphs were discovered. The first polymorph, δ-Mn­(BH4)2, forms near 1 GPa and is isostructural to the magnesium analogue δ-Mg­(BH4)2. This polymorph is stable upon decompression to ambient conditions and can also be obtained by compression of α-Mn­(BH4)2 in a large-volume steel press as well as by high-energy ball milling. It shows a high volumetric density of hydrogen of 125 g H2/L at ambient conditions. δ-Mn­(BH4)2 was refined in the space group I41/acd with the cell parameters a = 7.85245(6), c = 12.1456(2) Å, and V = 748.91(1) Å3 at ambient conditions; it can also be described in a stable P-4n2 superstructure. Its thermal stability was studied by in situ X-ray powder diffraction and thermal analysis coupled with mass-spectroscopy. δ-Mn­(BH4)2 transforms back to α-Mn­(BH4)2 upon heating in the temperature range of 67–109 °C in Ar (1 bar) or H2 (100 bar) atmosphere, and a decomposition is initiated at 130 °C with the release of hydrogen and some diborane. Mn­(BH4)2 undergoes a second phase transition to δ′-Mn­(BH4)2 in the pressure range of 8.6–11.8 GPa. δ′-phase is not isostructural to the second high-pressure phase of Mg­(BH4)2, and its structure was determined in the √2a × c supercell compared to the δ-phase and refined in the space group Fddd with a = 9.205(17), b = 9.321(10), c = 12.638(15) Å, and V = 1084(3) Å3 at 11.8 GPa. Equations of state were determined for α- and δ-Mn­(BH4)2.

We report on an efficient Ir-catalyzed decarbonylation of glycerol, which could be coupled to an ensuing Pdcatalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of styrenes. The formation of hydrogen could be avoided by employing 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ) as an external oxidant. A wide variety of styrenes underwent the esterification in good yields and high regioselectivity. Applying catalytic amounts of hexafluoroisopropanol provided access to alcohols other than methanol, which this transformation is often limited to. Finally, we demonstrate the suitability of this methodology for the preparation of three well-known nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

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