Boron trifluoride Lewis acid/base complex with diethyl ether

The product of this reaction, a Lewis acid-Lewis base complex called infonnally boron trifluoride etherate, may look unusual but it is a stable species with properties different from those of the reactants. Its boiling point (126°C) for exanple, is much higher than that of boron trifluoride—a gas with a boiling point of — 100°C—and diethyl ether, a liquid that boils at 34°C. 

Being an electron deficient compound, boron trifluoride forms complexes with Lewis bases and compounds that have unshared pair(s) of electrons. With ammonia, it forms boron trifluoride ammonia. Similar coordination compounds are formed with monoethylamine, BF3-NH2C2H5 diethyl ether, CH3CH20(BF3)CH2CH3 and methanol, BF3—OHCH3. It forms a sohd complex HNO3-2BF3 with concentrated nitric acid. 

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