Carborane

Name:
Carborane
Detailed information:
A crystalline compound composed of boron, carbon, and hydrogen. It can be synthesized in various ways, chiefly by the reaction of a borane (penta- or deca-) with acetylene, either at high temperature in the gas phase or in the presence of a Lewis base. Alkylated derivatives have been prepared. Carboranes have different structural and chemical characteristics and should not be confused with hydrocarbon derivatives of boron hydrides. The predominant structures are the cage type, the nest type, and the web type, these terms being descriptive of the arrangement of atoms in the crystals. Active research on carborane chemistry has been conducted under sponsorship of the U.S. Office of Naval Research.