Trimethylborane
Trimethylborane (TMB) is a toxic, pyrophoric gas with the formula B(CH3)3 (which can also be written as Me3B, with Me representing methyl). Properties As a liquid it is colourless. The strongest line in the infrared spectrum is at 1330 cm−1 followed by lines at 3010 cm−1 and 1185 cm−1. Its melting point is −161.5 °C, and its boiling point is −20.2 °C. Vapour pressure is given by , where T is temperature in kelvins. Molecular weight is 55.914. The heat of vapourisation is 25.6 kJ/mol. Preparation Trimethylborane was first described in 1862 by Edward Frankland, who also mentioned its adduct with ammonia. Due to its dangerous nature the compound was no longer studied until 1921, when Alfred Stock and Friedrich Zeidler took advantage of the reaction between boron trichloride gas and dimethylzinc. Although the substance can be prepared using Grignard reagents the output is contaminated by unwanted products from the solvent. Trimethylborane can be made on a small scale with a 98% yield by reacting trimethylaluminium in hexane with boron tribromide in dibutyl ether as a solvent. Yet other methods are reacting tributyl borate with trimethylaluminium chloride, or potassium tetrafluoroborate with trimethylaluminium. Yet another method is to add boron trifluoride