Diborane Product Description

What is Diborane?

Diborane draws attention as a chemical with a formula of B₂H₆. Its appearance comes as a colorless gas under standard temperature and pressure, carrying a strong, unpleasant, sweet odor. Working in chemical labs, I’ve handled dangerous gases, but diborane’s reactivity and toxicity always stood out. Unlike some chemicals that quietly rest in storage, diborane demands respect with its volatility. Breathing its fumes is risky because they irritate the nose and throat; exposure over time may damage the lungs. While curious chemists may wonder about its uses, it remains a hazardous material, both combustible and explosive when mixed with air.

Physical and Chemical Properties

Diborane’s molecular weight is around 27.67 g/mol. It turns to liquid under pressure and boils at just −92.5°C. Its freezing point sits at −164°C. Density is light—about 0.526 g/L at 0°C—lighter than air by a considerable margin. Its structure fascinates chemists: two boron atoms bonded to six hydrogen atoms by both conventional and unusual three-center, two-electron bridges. Handling this compound means dealing with its energetic properties. It reacts with water, oxygen, acids. Even at room temperature, contact with air can trigger combustion.

Structure and Material Form

Diborane’s structure isn’t like common molecules with simple bonds. Instead, two boron atoms hold four terminal hydrogens and share two pairs of hydrogens in bridging positions. Most of us see it delivered as a compressed gas in cylinders or, less commonly, as solutions in inert solvents. You’d never find diborane in solid, powder, flakes, pearls, or crystal forms at room temperature because it only freezes under deep cryogenic conditions. Liquid diborane can be prepared, but only with precise control—more often handled by specialists in research or industrial settings with experience in cryogenics.

Specifications

Diborane used in the industry should meet stringent purity levels, typically above 98% depending on application. Impurities like ammonia, phosphine, or silane threaten the efficiency and safety in semiconductor manufacturing, where diborane doping shapes transistors. For laboratory use, I’ve seen that suppliers report content as grams per liter or percent by volume in gas mixtures. Cylinders arrive in volumes specified by liters or cubic meters, every shipment tracked under strict hazardous material protocols.

HS Code and Regulatory Data

In international trade, diborane falls under HS Code 2850.00.00, classifying it as a hydride, nitride, or azide of boron, silicon or other non-metals. Handling this material means following chemical registration rules—countries often require documentation showing compliance with transport safety, storage, and emergency response.

Safe Handling and Hazards

Diborane is genuinely hazardous. Even low levels in air—below 0.1%—risk explosion. The gas is toxic, producing symptoms like headaches, coughing, or shortness of breath. Repeated or high exposure sometimes causes delayed lung problems. In my lab experience, diborane storage means separate, well-ventilated areas, leak detection, strict cylinder tracking, and regular training. Firefighting requires chemical suits and remote handling. Water does not help—combustion makes boric acid and hydrogen gas, multiplying danger. Only skilled staff, using respirators and gas monitoring, can fill, transfer, or use diborane safely.

Applications and Raw Materials

Production of diborane draws on boron trifluoride, sodium borohydride, or magnesium boride as raw materials, typically reacting with acids or oxidizers. Main uses gather around semiconductor doping—adding boron atoms to silicon wafers. Certain fuel research projects also explored diborane as a high-energy rocket propellant because of its dense hydrogen content. Lesser-known applications reach into organic synthesis, where diborane reduces carbonyl compounds into alcohols, or opens double bonds in hydroboration reactions, but large-scale commercial use stays fairly limited due to safety concerns.