Question

Explain structure and bonding of diborane.

Answer 1

• Electronic configuration of boron is 1s² 2s² 2p¹. Thus, it has only three valence electrons.
• In diborane, each boron atom is sp³ hybridized. Three of such hybrid orbitals are half filled while the fourth sp3 hybrid orbital remains vacant.
• The two half-filled sp³ hybrid orbitals of each B atom overlap with 1s orbitals of two terminal H atoms and form four B – H covalent bonds. These bonds are also known as two-centred-two-electron (2c-2e) bonds.
• When ‘1s’ orbital of each of the remaining two H atoms simultaneously overlap with half-filled hybrid orbital of one B atom and the vacant hybrid orbital of the other B atom, it produces two three-centred-two- electron bonds (3c-2e) or banana bonds.
• Hydrogen atoms involved in (3c-2e) bonds are the bridging H atoms i.e., H atoms in two B – H – B bonds.
• In diborane, two B atoms and four terminal H atoms lie in one plane, while the two bridging H atoms lie symmetrically above and below this plane.
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