Unstable intermediates. Part LXVI. Electron spin resonance study of radiation products in γ-irradiated alkali borohydrides: the radicals HBO– and BH3–

Abstract

The e.s.r. spectra of γ-irradiated alkali borohydrides have been analysed in terms of the formation of BH₃^– and HBO^–, the latter being formed, presumably, from partially hydrolysed anions. Both radicals appear to be freely rotating at 77°K but HBO^– gives an anisotropic spectrum at about 20°K which has been analysed to give the g-tensor and approximate A-tensor for ¹¹B. The results for BH₃^– are compared with those for the isoelectronic species CH₃ and NH₃⁺, and those for HBO^– with HCO and HCN^–.