Triisopropyl borate hly

Physical Properties

• Appearance: Colorless, transparent liquid.
• Odor: Mild, characteristic alcohol-like odor.
• Melting Point: Approximately -59 °C.
• Boiling Point: Around 139–142 °C at standard atmospheric pressure.
• Density: ~0.815 g/cm³ at 25 °C (lighter than water).
• Solubility: Insoluble in water (reacts with moisture), but highly miscible with common organic solvents such as ethanol, ether, benzene, and isopropanol.
• Flash Point: Ranges between 10 °C and 28 °C depending on purity, making it a highly flammable liquid. Its vapors can form explosive mixtures with air when exposed to open flames or high heat.

Chemical Properties

• Moisture Sensitivity & Hydrolysis: It is sensitive to moisture and slowly hydrolyzes upon exposure to water or humid air, breaking down into boric acid and isopropanol. Therefore, it must be stored in tightly sealed containers in a dry environment.
• Reactivity & Catalysis: It acts as a versatile Lewis acid catalyst and a key reagent for introducing boron groups. It readily undergoes transesterification reactions to synthesize other complex organoboron compounds and participates in palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions (such as Suzuki coupling) to form carbon-carbon bonds.
• Flammability & Thermal Decomposition: Highly flammable. When burned or thermally decomposed, it releases hazardous gases, including carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
• Incompatibility: Chemically incompatible with strong oxidizing agents, strong acids, and water. Contact with these materials can trigger exothermic reactions or fire hazards.
• Toxicity: Harmful if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin. It acts as an irritant to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract.

Main Applications

• Organic Synthesis Intermediates: Widely utilized as a multifunctional precursor for synthesizing various boronic acids and esters, which are indispensable building blocks in pharmaceutical development, agrochemicals, and advanced organic electronic materials.
• Semiconductor Industry: Serves as a crucial boron diffusion source and doping agent in microelectronics manufacturing, particularly for silicon wafer processing and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD).
• Polymer & Material Science: Employed as a functional additive in polymer chemistry. It can act as a flame retardant by promoting char formation in plastics, rubbers, and coatings. It is also used in sol-gel processes for depositing boron-containing ceramic and glass coatings.
• Industrial Additives: Applied as a corrosion inhibitor and stabilizer in metalworking fluids, cutting oils, rust-preventive oils, and lithium-ion battery electrolytes.