Reactions of trimethylamine–iodoborane(1/1) and related complexes in liquid ammonia

Abstract

The only trimethylamine–halogenoborane(1/1) in the series NMe₃·BH_yX_z(y+z= 3; X = Cl, Br, or I) to react with liquid ammonia is NMe₃·BH₂I which slowly gives diamminedihydroboron iodide[BH₂(NH₃)₂]I. The reaction rate is greatly increased in the presence of a range of halide salts. On reaction with Na[CN], NMe₃·BH₂I gives mainly NH₃·B(CN)H₂ and with Na[NH₂] mainly polymeric [BH₂(NH₂)]_n. The complexes NMe₃·BBr₂H, NMe₃·BHI₂, and NMe₃·BBr₃, as well as NMe₃·BH₂I, react with sodium in liquid ammonia; the products include[BH₂(NH₂)]_n and (for NMe₃·BH₂I) the borane complex NMe₃·BH₃.