Diborane
Combustion of diborane, ignited with heated steel wire. This movie includes 2 still images to show clearer picture of diborane flame. Diborane (accompanied by hydrogen) is formed from a reaction of sodium borohydride with concentrated sulfuric acid. DIBORANE - Brief info (updated 10/22/2008) Diborane (B2H6) is a compound of boron and hydrogen. It is a colorless, very toxic gas with an unpleasant, rather pungent smell, somewhat resembling much diluted sewer gas or household fuel gas. It is extremely flammable, burning with a bright green flame when ignited (the pure gas may ignite spontaneously), the flame color characteristic of boron, forming boron trioxide (B2O3) and water vapor. In poor supply of air, the flame tends to be blue and some boron is formed. Diborane is very reactive to many other chemicals; it explodes in chlorine giving boron trichloride and hydrogen chloride, it is rapidly decomposed by water giving boric acid and hydrogen, and has weakly acidic character in forming a salt, (B2H6)Na2, with sodium amalgam. Diborane is used as a doping agent and the production of pure boron in semi-conductor industry, as a vulcanizing agent in rubber and as a rocket fuel. It is also used for studying the mechanisms of its reactions with organic chemicals.
