Diborane, reaction with acetone

Reduction. The reaction of diborane with acetone (2) and other simple carbonyl compounds to form dialkoxyboranes may involve the equilibrium BjHj 2 BHi, and a possible formulation of the first step is shown in (5). The monoalkoxyborane... 

A 500-ml three-necked flask is fitted with a thermometer, a condenser, and a gas dispersion tube. A tube from the condenser outlet dips below the surface of mercury in a side-arm test tube. The mercury is covered with a layer of acetone, which serves to destroy excess diborane by the reaction to form diisopropoxyborane, [(CH3)2CH0-LBH (Fig. 4.1). 

Fig. 1. The apparatus used in the [BuHi ]1 ion-forming step consists of a 1-L, three-necked reaction flask (A) fitted with a mechanical stirrer (B), a thermometer (C), and a pump (D) for the addition of BF3 0(C2Hs )2 from reservoir (E). The reaction off-gas is passed through a dry-ice condenser F) which condenses the diethyl ether into receiver (G). The noncondensible gas passes through the condenser and into the acetone scrubber (H) any diborane (6) formed as a by-product is destroyed by the acetone. The nitrogen inlet to the system is at (I).

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