Uses and Applications of Diborane

Diborane is an organic compound and chemically it is written as B2 H6. In diborane molecules four-terminal boron-hydrogen bonds and two bridge boron-hydrogen-boron are present. It has a sweet odour and is present in the gaseous state at normal room temperature. It is inflammable and highly toxic, so it is not sustainable for human health. Diborane is not naturally present in the environment but prepared by laboratory or industrial methods. The boiling and melting points of diborane are very low because of its inflammable nature. In the diborane molecule, covalent bonds, as well as ionic bonds, are present. 

Structure 

The symmetry of the structure of diborane is B2 H6. Four of the hydrides are terminal, while the other two act as a link between the boron centres. The B-H bridge bond and B-H terminals have Armstrong values of 1.33 and 1.19, respectively. The difference in bond length reflects their different strengths, with the B-H bond being the weaker of the two.

The vibrational structures of the B-H terminal and B-H bond in the infrared spectrum are around 2100 and 2500 cm, indicating their fragility. The link between boron and the terminal hydrogen atoms is defined by the molecular determined theory as two centres and two-electron covalent bonds.

However, unlike in compounds like hydrocarbons, the bonding between the bridging hydrogen atom and the boron atoms is distinct. Each boron needs two electrons to connect to terminal hydrogen atoms and has one valence electron left over for further bonding. Each of the bridging hydrogen atoms contributes one electron. Banana bonds are made up of these sorts of bonds.

Uses and applications of diborane

• During the 1960s, diborane (B2 H6) was used as fuel for the spaceship projects as it was thought that diborane has some amount of stored energy apart from its low molecular mass.
• Diborane (B2 H6) is used in the chemical process of hydroboration because it is used as a popular reagent, which is largely giving anti-Markovnikov additional products.
• In the polymerisation process of hydrocarbons, diborane (B2 H6) is used as a catalyst, which means diborane is present in the reaction and helps to increase the rate of polymerisation reaction without being reacted in the whole process.
• In the preparation of semiconductors, diborane (B2 H6) is used as a doping agent, ie, it is used as an impurity added to the original chemical substance. Due to this, they exhibit some extent of electrical and magnetic properties.
• Diborane (B2 H6) is also used as a flame speed accelerator in the preparation of semiconductors.
• When pure boron is produced during the preparatory method of semiconductors, we can get diborane (B2 H6) as the intermediate species.
• Diborane (B2 H6) is used as a coating reagent on the walls of Tokamak’s machine to reduce the impurities of heavy metals in the plasma. Tokamak’s machine is a device used in the nuclear fusion research process to confine plasma by using the magnetic field.
• Diborane (B2 H6) is used as a rubber vulcaniser in the polymerisation process and in various objects like rubber hoses, shoe soles, toys, erasers, shock absorbers, conveyor belts, etc.
• Diborane (B2 H6) is also used as a reducing agent in many chemical reactions, where this itself gets oxidised to reduce any given reactant by providing hydrogen. Diborane efficiently reduces carboxylic acid to the respective alcohols.

Conclusion

Diborane has several uses in our chemical and scientific life. It is used as a reducing agent in many chemical reactions to reduce the given reactant; it is used in the polymerisation process as a catalyst and during the formation of semiconductors.