Bulky molecules trap boron compounds into a never-before-seen structural arrangement

When it comes to chemical bonding, boron has a reputation for being unconventional. While covalent bonds are usually formed by sharing two electrons between two atoms, some compounds—including diboranes (B2H6) —contain B–H–B bonds in which an electron pair is distributed over three sites. The electron-deficient nature of these ‘3-center, 2-electron’ bonds can generate a variety of distinct chemical structures, some of which—such as triple-bonded diborane derivatives—have only been seen theoretically.

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