nido-borane

chemical compound

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "nido-borane" refers to a specific structural classification of boranes, which are inorganic compounds composed of boron and hydrogen. Boranes are analogous to hydrocarbons, with boron being the element adjacent to carbon in the periodic table.1

Nido-boranes are characterized by their "nest-like" structures, where the boron atoms occupy n corners of an (n + 1)-cornered polyhedron, essentially a closed framework with one missing vertex. This structural classification, along with others like closo and arachno, helps chemists understand the complex bonding arrangements in these electron-deficient compounds. The study of boranes has been significant in advancing our understanding of chemical bonding, particularly through the concept of three-center, two-electron bonds.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

borane
Structure and bonding of boranes
…of n boron atoms; (2) nido- (from Latin nidus, meaning “nest”), nonclosed structures in which the B_n cluster occupies n corners of an (n + 1)-cornered polyhedron—i.e., a closo-polyhedron with one missing vertex; (3) arachno- (Greek, meaning “spider’s web”), clusters that are even more open, with boron atoms occupying n…
Read More
…of n boron atoms; (2) nido- (from Latin nidus, meaning “nest”), nonclosed structures in which the B_n cluster occupies n corners of an (n + 1)-cornered polyhedron—i.e., a closo-polyhedron with one missing vertex; (3) arachno- (Greek, meaning “spider’s web”), clusters that are even more open, with boron atoms occupying n…
Read More

chemical bonding
Boranes
…like untidy birds’ nests (the nido-boranes), and some resembling spiderwebs (the arachno-boranes). Which type of structure is obtained correlates with the number of valence electrons in the molecule, and the correlation is expressed by Wade’s rules. These rules are empirical, but they can be justified by a consideration of the…
Read More
…like untidy birds’ nests (the nido-boranes), and some resembling spiderwebs (the arachno-boranes). Which type of structure is obtained correlates with the number of valence electrons in the molecule, and the correlation is expressed by Wade’s rules. These rules are empirical, but they can be justified by a consideration of the…
Read More