Can you combine elemental gold and boron?

Is it possible to combine gold and boron to form compounds? A simple example being:


$$
\ce{Au + B -> AuB}
$$




Yes, gold and boron can bond with each other to form alloy clusters. They are very important in semiconductor industry and used in fabrication process. Here(1) is a short note on gold-boron alloy:



> 
> **Photoelectron spectroscopy and density-functional theory are combined to investigate the electronic and structural properties of a
>  series of $\ce{B-Au}$ alloy clusters: $\ce{B6Au\_{n}^{−}}$ and
>  $\ce{B6Au\_{n}}$ ($\ce{n = 1−3}$).** Rich spectral features are
>  observed for each species, and vibrational structures are resolved for
>  numerous detachment transitions of $\ce{B6Au^−}$ and
>  $\ce{B6Au^{2−}}$. Electron affinities of $\ce{B6Au\_{n} (n = 1−3)}$ are
>  evaluated to be 2.70 ± 0.03, 2.91 ± 0.02, and 3.21 ± 0.05 eV,
>  respectively. Global structural searches are performed for both the
>  anions and their neutrals. The calculated electronic binding energies
>  are compared with experimental measurements to establish the anion
>  global-minimum structures and their corresponding neutral states.
>  The ground-state structures of these clusters are shown to be planar
>  or quasi-planar with an elongated B6core, to which the first and
>  second Au atoms are bonded terminally and the third Au in a bridging
>  position. All three anion clusters are π antiaromatic.
>  Natural bond orbital analyses show that the $\ce{B-Au}$ bonding is
>  highly covalent, providing new examples for the $\ce{Au/H}$ analogy
>  in Au alloy clusters.
> 
> 
> 


You can find more information about gold-boron alloy clusters in the reference below.


**Reference**


1. The Journal of Chemical Physics 138, 084306 (2016); doi: <http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4792501>
2. <https://www.google.com/patents/US3211550>
3. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23901981>
4. <http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4816010>
5. <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235886590_On_the_structures_and_bonding_in_boron-gold_alloy_clusters_B6Aun-_and_B6Aun_n_1-3>
6. <http://www.google.co.in/patents/US3137595>


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In a rather different vein is boronizing gold for surface hardening. Here boron combines not with the gold but with a base metal alloyed into the gold. According to the abstract from\* (full article behind a paywall):



> 
> Surface hardening of gold containing Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mn,
>  Fe, Co or Ni was tried by means of boronizing technique with powder
>  boron under argon atmospheric furnace at 900 to 950 degree C for 6
>  hrs. The obvious surface hardening was possible for the gold alloy
>  which contains more than 5%Ti, 5%V, 3%Cr, 15%Mn, 10%Fe, 5%Co or 5%Ni.
>  Surface hardness and thickness of the hardened layer strongly depended
>  on the alloying element added. The phases formed on the hardened
>  surface were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis.
> 
> 
> 


**Reference**


\*<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/29677483_Surface_Hardening_of_Gold_with_Boronizing_TechniqueMaterials_Metallurgy_Weldability>


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