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Boron hydride

Diborane
Stereo skeletal formula of diborane with all explicit hydrogens added and assorted measurements
Ball and stick model of diborane
Names
IUPAC name
Diborane(6)
Other names
Boroethane
Boron hydride
Diboron hexahydride
Identifiers
19287-45-7 YesY
3D model (Jmol) Interactive image
ChEBI CHEBI:33590 YesY
ChemSpider 17215804 YesY
ECHA InfoCard 100.039.021
EC Number 242-940-6
RTECS number HQ9275000
Properties
B2H6
Molar mass 27.67 g·mol−1
Appearance Colorless gas
Odor repulsive and sweet
Density 1.216 g/L
Melting point −164.85 °C (−264.73 °F; 108.30 K)
Boiling point −92.5 °C (−134.5 °F; 180.7 K)
Reacts
Vapor pressure 39.5 atm (16.6°C)
Structure
Tetrahedral (for boron)
see text
0 D
Hazards
Main hazards highly flammable, reacts with water
Safety data sheet See: data page
NFPA 704
Flammability code 4: Will rapidly or completely vaporize at normal atmospheric pressure and temperature, or is readily dispersed in air and will burn readily. Flash point below 23 °C (73 °F). E.g., propane Health code 4: Very short exposure could cause death or major residual injury. E.g., VX gas Reactivity code 4: Readily capable of detonation or explosive decomposition at normal temperatures and pressures. E.g., nitroglycerin Special hazard W: Reacts with water in an unusual or dangerous manner. E.g., cesium, sodiumNFPA 704 four-colored diamond
38 °C (100 °F; 311 K)
Explosive limits 0.8%-88%
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
40 ppm (rat, 4 hr)
29 ppm (mouse, 4 hr)
40-80 ppm (rat, 4 hr)
159-181 ppm (rat, 15 min)
125 ppm (dog, 2 hr)
50 ppm (hamster, 8 hr)
US health exposure limits (NIOSH):
PEL (Permissible)
TWA 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/m3)
REL (Recommended)
TWA 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/m3)
IDLH (Immediate danger)
15 ppm
Related compounds
Related boron compounds
Decaborane
BF3
Supplementary data page
Refractive index (n),
Dielectric constantr), etc.
Thermodynamic
data
Phase behaviour
solid–liquid–gas
UV, IR, NMR, MS
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
YesY  (what is YesYN ?)
Infobox references

Diborane is the chemical compound consisting of boron and hydrogen with the formula B2H6. It is a colorless and highly unstable gas at room temperature with a repulsively sweet odor. Diborane mixes well with air, easily forming explosive mixtures. Diborane will ignite spontaneously in moist air at room temperature. Synonyms include boroethane, boron hydride, and diboron hexahydride.

Diborane is a key boron compound with a variety of applications. The compound is classified as "endothermic", meaning that its heat of formation, ΔH°f is positive (36 kJ/mol). Despite a high thermodynamic instability, diborane is surprisingly nonreactive for kinetic reasons, and it is known to take part in an extensive range of chemical transformations, many of them entailing loss of dihydrogen.

Diborane adopts a D2h structure containing four terminal and two bridging hydrogen atoms. The model determined by molecular orbital theory indicates that the bonds between boron and the terminal hydrogen atoms are conventional 2-center, 2-electron covalent bonds. The bonding between the boron atoms and the bridging hydrogen atoms is, however, different from that in molecules such as hydrocarbons. Having used two electrons in bonding to the terminal hydrogen atoms, each boron has one valence electron remaining for additional bonding. The bridging hydrogen atoms provide one electron each. Thus the B2H2 ring is held together by four electrons, an example of 3-center 2-electron bonding. This type of bond is sometimes called a 'banana bond'. The lengths of the B-Hbridge bonds and the B-Hterminal bonds are 1.33 and 1.19 Å respectively, and this difference in the lengths of these bonds reflects the difference in their strengths, the B-Hbridge bonds being relatively weaker. The weakness of the B-Hbridge vs B-Hterminal bonds is indicated by their vibrational signatures in the infrared spectrum, being ~2100 and 2500 cm−1, respectively. The structure is isoelectronic with C2H62+, which would arise from the diprotonation of the planar molecule ethene. Diborane is one of many compounds with such unusual bonding.


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