Borate

Uses

Borates also found use for control of weeds in specific locations. The introduction of synthetic organic herbicides that acted selectively against broad-leaved weeds changed the situation irreversibly. The first organic chemical herbicide to be introduced was 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol [534- 52-1] (DNOC) in 1932.

Agricultural Uses

Borate is a salt of boric acid (H₃BO₃). There are two known types of borates - orthoborate and metaborate which are used as fertilizers. Besides these, polyborates, boric acid, calcium polyborate (colemanite), sodium tetraborate, solubor and complex borosilicate (boron frits) are also used as fertilizers to reduce boron deficiency. Borate minerals like kernite and tincal are the main sources of borax.
Borax, a source of boron, is the salt of boric acid, sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate. Borax, otherwise called disodium tetraborate decahydrate(Na₂B₄O₇·10H₂O)is a water-soluble white compound. It occurs as a mineral in some alkaline salt deposits. The main sources of borax are borate minerals, kernite(Na₂B₄·4H₂O),a sorite and heal(Na₂B₄O₇·10H₂O)which are purified by recrystallization. On treatment with an acid, borax gives boric acid which is absorbed as boron by plants. Borax contains 10.5 to 11.4% boron or 36.5% boric oxide (B₂O₃).
Borax is a supplier of micronutrient boron for plants and is applied as such or as a foliar spray. Solubor is preferred to borax for its greater solubility and because it causes minimum changes in the crystallization temperature.
Borax is a very important substance in other industries too. It is used as a metallurgical flux in glass and ceramic industries, a buffer, a mild alkaline antiseptic and a source of boron compounds.

Enzyme inhibitor

This conjugate base (FW = 61.83 g/mol; CAS 11129-12-7) of boric acid is the likely consequence of boric acid acting as a Lewis acid (i.e., as an electron pair acceptor), as does boron trifluoride, to form B(OH)4–. Borate is soluble in cold water (1 g/18 mL) and inhibits many enzymes. The neutral species has been shown to inhibit urease by bridging the enzyme’s pair of catalytic nickel ions. Boric acid also forms a complex with serine that inhibitsγ-glutamyl transpeptidase. (See also Serine-Borate Complex) Sodium borate Na2B4O7, also called sodium tetraborate, is often used as an antiseptic and detergent. The decahydrate is known as Borax. Dionex BorateTrap?: Because borate can be leached from borosilicate laboratory glassware, and because borate binds to vicinal hydroxyl groups in many carbohydrates, one cannot discount the possibility of borate effects on carbohydrate-utilizing enzymes. The Dionex BorateTrap is a 4 × 50 mm column placed between the eluent pump and an HPLC injection valve to remove borate contamination from eluents. Its placed prior the injection valve assures that the trap will have no effect on the efficiencies or retention times of the carbohydrate analytes. The trap itself is packed 20-μm high-capacity resin that has high selectivity for borate. The resin used in the BorateTrap is functionalized with a polyol capable of complexing borate in the presence of hydroxide. The BorateTrap eliminates peak tailing for mannose, fructose, and reduced monosaccharides, resulting from contamination of the eluent from borate. Therefore, the BorateTrap is highly recommended for optimal performance during carbohydrate analysis. Target(s): L-iditol dehydrogenase; deoxyribonuclease I; glycerol-2-phosphatase; 5’- nucleotidase; steryl-sulfatase; aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase; γ-glutamyltransferase, plant; clostripain; Lgulonolactone oxidase; dehydro-L-gulonate decarboxylase; catechol O-methyltransferase; alcohol dehydrogenase; catechol oxidase, or o-diphenol oxidase; arginase; peptide-N4- (N-acetyl-b glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase; glutamyl endopeptidase; glutaminase; alkaline phosphatase; glycogen synthase; xanthine oxidase; carboxypeptidase B, above pH 8; acid phosphatase; glucose-6-phosphatase; urease; formimidoylglutamase, or formimino-glutamase; phosphodiesterase; arylsulfatase A, or cerebroside-sulfatase; arylsulfatase B, or Nacetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase; cholinesterase; b-lactamase; tyrosinase; glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; venom exonuclease; kynureninase, weakly inhibited); tetrahydrofolate synthetase; carboxy-cis,cis-muconate cyclase, under acidic conditions; cyclamate sulfohydrolase; nucleotide diphosphatase; cytidine deaminase; methylenediurea deaminase; allantoate deaminase; 4-methyleneglutaminase; pantothenase; bacterial leucyl aminopeptidase, weakly inhibited; aminopeptidase B; N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase, or arylsulfatase B; glycosulfatase; steryl-sulfatase, inhibited by metaborate and tetraborate; Arylsulfatase; 3-phosphoglycerate phosphatase; 3- or 4-phytase; alkaline phosphatase; arginine kinase; arginine:pyruvate transaminase; peptidyltransferase, weakly inhibited; protein-histidine N-methyltransferase, weakly inhibited; cyclopropane-fatty-acyl-phospholipid synthase; xanthine oxidase; 4 hydroxybenzoate 3-monooxygenase; lysine 2-monooxygenase; catechol 2,3-dioxygenase; catalase, weakly inhibited; catechol oxidase; polyphenol oxidase