Chemical Properties
Clear colourless to light amber solution. Miscible with most organic solvents; immiscible with water.
Uses
It is used in mixtures with triethylaluminumas hypergolic igniters in rocket propulsionsystems.
Uses
Reagent in organic syntheses blocking agent and radical initiator.
Hazard
Flammable, dangerous fire risk, ignites
spontaneously in air. Reacts violently with water
and oxidizing materials. Toxic by inhalation, strong
irritant.
Health Hazard
Triethylboron is a toxic substance. The toxicsymptoms from chronic exposure to thiscompound are not reported. Skin contact canburn tissues.
Fire Hazard
Triethylborane is a pyrophoric substance,
igniting spontaneously on exposure to air,
chlorine, or bromine. Explosion may result
when mixed with oxygen. Contact with
ozone, peroxides and other oxidants can
cause explosion. Its concentrated solutions
can be pyrophoric. Flash point of 1 M
solution in hexane is －23°C ( －9°F), while
that in tetrahydrofuran is －17°C (1°F)
(Aldrich 1996). It decomposes explosively
when mixed with water.
Flammability and Explosibility
Pyrophoric
Purification Methods
It distils at 56-57o/220mm. It can also be purified via its ammonia addition complex which is distilled in a high vacuum, decomposed with dry HCl, and the Et3B is distilled out. It is commercially available as a 15% solution in hexane or as 1M solution in hexane. [Brown J Am Chem Soc 67 376 1945, Bamford et al. J Chem Soc 471 1946, Lin et al. J Organomet Chem 312 277 1986, Beilstein 4 III 1957, 4 IV 4359.]
