25 Boron Trichloride Uses: Facts You Should Know!

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Boron trichloride is an inorganic compound composed of boron (atomic number 5) and chlorine (atomic number 17). Let us have a look at the uses of Boron trichloride (BCl3).

The uses of Boron trichloride are discussed as in the following topics:

  • Research Industry
  • Synthetic Chemistry
  • Boron Trichloride in Reduction
  • Commercial Utility

In this article, let us focus on the different chemical and physical uses of boron trichloride in detail.

Research Industry

  • BCl3 reacts producing sparks when in contact with fat, grease, phosphine or nitrogen peroxides.
  • Boron trichloride (BCl3) being a strong lewis acid, reacts readily with organic functional groups, and organometallics.
  • BCl3 readily hydrolyzes in water to produce hydrochloric acid (HCl) and boric acid (B(OH)3).
  • BCl3 commercially forms adducts on interaction with tertiary amines, ethers, halide ions, or phosphine groups.

Synthetic Chemistry

  • BCl3 is an effective hydroborating agent and thus is used in the hydroboration oxidation reaction of alkenes in the presence of trialkyl silanes.
  • BCl3 can efficiently cleave sterically hindered esters.
  • BCl3 as a catalyst for the transesterification of lipids.
  • BCl3 has been investigated to degrade all monosaccharides except fructose and sorbose into 5-hydroxymethyl furfuraldehyde by dealkylation and acylation reactions.
  • Anilines and phenols undergo alkyl thiocarbonylation using BCl3.
  • BCl3 is also used to convert carbamate esters into isocyanates and diisocyanates in the presence of Et3N.
bcl3
Important Uses of Boron Trichloride

Boron Trichloride in Reduction

  • BCl3 converts itself to diboron tetrachloride by heating the copper metal.
  • 2 BCl3 + 2 Cu = B2Cl4 + 2 CuCl
  • Boron trichloride is used to produce colorless B2Cl4 which is planar in solid state and staggered in the gas phase.
  • Borates and chloroborates can be prepared on the reduction of boron trichloride in the presence of chloroalcohol.

Commercial Utility

  • Boron trichloride in the refining of aluminum, magnesium, copper, and zinc alloys.
  • BCl3 being non hygroscopic in nature, can be used as a soldering flux for various alloys.
  • BCl3 has wide application in high-energy fuel sources and rocket propellants because of the high BTU value of boron.
  • BCl3 in the semiconductor industry for display production in electronic markets.
  • BCl3 in the development of silicon integrated ultra large scale semiconductors by synthesizing boron nitride.
  • BCl3 as rocket nozzles by developing boron carbide coating.

Conclusion

Boron trichloride is a colorless gas that is highly reactive toward the water. Its wide range of application in organic synthesis makes it the strong lewis acid. It is also soluble in chloroform and ethanol. It has a density of 1.326 g/cm3 and a boiling point of 12.6 ℃.