“Activated Borane” – A Porous Borane Cluster Network

The unprecedented co-thermolysis of nido-decaborane (B10H14) and toluene results in a novel porous material (that we have named “Activated Borane”) containing micropores of 1.0 and 1.5 nm in diameter and a specific surface area of 774 m2 g-1 (Ar, 87 K) that is thermally stable up to 1000 oC. Solid-state 1H, 11B and 13C MAS NMR, UV-vis and IR spectroscopies suggest an amorphous structure of borane clusters interconnected by toluene moieties in a ratio of about three toluene molecules for every borane cluster. In addition, the structure contains Lewis-acidic tri-coordinated boron sites giving it some unique properties. Activated Borane displays high sorption capacity for pollutants such as sulfamethoxazole, tramadol, diclofenac and bisphenol A that exceed the capacity of commercially-available activated carbon. The consistency in properties for each batch made, and the ease of its synthesis, make Activated Borane a promising porous material worthy of broad attention.