User:Graeme Bartlett/oxoboryl

Oxoboryl is a reactive radical molecular compound with formula BO. Normally it can only exist as a gas at very low pressures or high temperatures. It is also known as a ligand on platinum in trans-[(cyclohexyl3P)2BrPt(B≡O)]. In the complex the oxygen-boron triple bond length is 0.1205Å.

Production
A low temperature form of solid boron monoxide can be produced by dehydrating subboric acid at 220°C for several hours. Subboric acid is produced from the reaction of water with diboron tetrachloride. Boron monoxide in gas form can be produced by blasting boron nitride with a strong laser in air. A plasma is produced that contains BO.

The high temperature form can be made by heating boron with various oxides, such as boric oxide, or zirconium dioxide. Yet another way is to reduce boric oxide with various metals, giving a B2O2 vapour which condenses to the amber form of boron monoxide.

Properties
Gaseous boron monoxide has a spectrum that is dependent on the isotopes. 11B16O has a band head at 255.25 nm for X2Σ+ → B2Σ+. For 10B16O the band head is at 255.95. Whereas atomic boron has an emission line at 208.889 nm.

The low temperature form is white. The high temperature form is amber, and takes the form of polymer.

Reactions
Boron monoxide reacts with boron trichloride to yield diboron tetrachloride. Boron monoxide reacts with sulfur tetrafluoride to yield diboron tetrafluoride.

Bron monoxide reacts with hydrogen at 1000°C to produce borane.