Question

Diborane undergoes cleavage and gives aduct with..??

Answer 1

However, no mechanism for this cleavage was provided, nor can it be found in Housecroft and Sharpe's "Inorganic Chemistry", our course textbook, nor can I find much about it online.

I have postulated such a mechanism:



Is it known how this cleavage occurs, and if it does indeed follow this mechanism? Is my attempt a reasonable proposition?

Answer 2

Diborane on treatment with Lewis base first undergoes cleavage to form borane which then reacts with Lewis base to form adducts.

B2H6 + 2NMe3 -----> 2BH3.NMe3

B2H6 + 2CO ----> 2BH3.CO