THE MICROWAVE SPECTRUM OF TETRABORANE

Abstract

The microwave spectrum of tetraborane(10), $B_{4}H_{10}$, has been detected and assigned in the region 26.5 to 40 GHz. Observation of the singly substituted $^{10}B$ species (in natural abundance) has confirmed the $C_{2v}$ symmetry of the molecule and has enabled a preliminary molecular structure to be determined for the heavy atom framework. Work on deuterium substituted species is in progress with particular emphasis on the accurate location of the bridge hydrogen atoms, which early X-ray diffraction studies indicated were asymmetrically placed between the boron atoms. [FIGURE]