diboron tetrachloride

chemical compound

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July 20, 2026

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Diboron tetrachloride (B₂Cl₄) is a chemical compound formed when boron trichloride is passed through an electric discharge at low pressure. This compound is unstable and decomposes at room temperature into a series of monochlorides with the general formula (BCl)_n.1

Boron itself is a semimetal in Group 13 of the periodic table, essential for plant growth and widely used industrially. It forms various compounds, including halides like boron trichloride (BCl₃) and boron trifluoride (BF₃). Diborane (B₂H₆) is another boron compound, a gas with a repulsive odor, formed from metal hydrides and boron halides. Boranes, in general, are compounds of boron and hydrogen that exhibit unique bonding structures, often involving three-center, two-electron bonds.1234

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boron
Compounds
…devices delivering an electric discharge, diboron tetrachloride, Cl₂B–BCl₂, and tetraboron tetrachloride, B₄Cl₄, are formed. Diboron tetrachloride decomposes at room temperature to give a series of monochlorides having the general formula (BCl)_n, in which n may be 8, 9, 10, or 11; the compounds with formulas B₈Cl₈ and B₉Cl₉ are known…
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…devices delivering an electric discharge, diboron tetrachloride, Cl₂B–BCl₂, and tetraboron tetrachloride, B₄Cl₄, are formed. Diboron tetrachloride decomposes at room temperature to give a series of monochlorides having the general formula (BCl)_n, in which n may be 8, 9, 10, or 11; the compounds with formulas B₈Cl₈ and B₉Cl₉ are known…
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