Does magnesium boride react with water to form boranes?
My attempt:
Magnesium nitride reacts with water to form ammonia and magnesium hydroxide.
Similarly, does magnesium boride also react with water to form a borane and magnesium hydroxide?
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Sign up to join this communityDoes magnesium boride react with water to form boranes?
My attempt:
Magnesium nitride reacts with water to form ammonia and magnesium hydroxide.
Similarly, does magnesium boride also react with water to form a borane and magnesium hydroxide?
Hydrolysis of magnesium boride has previously been attempted1. Two hydrolysis products were observed. The main hydrolysis product was found to be $\ce{Mg3B2(OH)6}$ but at $\pu{-10 ^\circ C}$, a different product is formed whose composition was found to be $\ce{H3B2(MgOH)3}$ which immediately converts back to the main product if the temperature were slightly increased. The corresponding reactions were:
$$\ce{Mg3B2 + 6H2O -> Mg3B2(OH)6 + 3H2}$$ $$\ce{Mg3B2 + 3H2O -> H3B2(MgOH)3}$$ $$\ce{H3B2(MgOH)3 + 3H2O -> Mg3B2(OH)6 + 3H2}$$
No boric acid, magnesium borate or even boranes were formed although these products were expected from the hydrolysis reaction.
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