Hydrogen bond
Hydrogen bonds can vary in strength from weak (1–2 kJ mol) to strong (161.5 kJ mol in the ion ). Typical enthalpies in vapor include:
Diborane
Diborane adopts a D structure containing four terminal and two bridging hydrogen atoms. The model determined by molecular orbital theory indicates that the bonds between boron and the terminal hydrogen atoms are conventional 2-center, 2-electron covalent bonds. The bonding between the boron atoms and the bridging hydrogen atoms is, however, different from that in molecules such as hydrocarbons. Having used two electrons in bonding to the terminal hydrogen atoms, each boron has one valence electron remaining for additional bonding. The bridging hydrogen atoms provide one electron each. Thus the BH ring is held together by four electrons, an example of 3-center 2-electron bonding. This type of bond is sometimes called a 'banana bond'. The lengths of the B-H bonds and the B-H bonds are 1.33 and 1.19 Å respectively, and this difference in the lengths of these bonds reflects the difference in their strengths, the B-H bonds being relatively weaker. The weakness of the B-H vs B-H bonds is indicated by their vibrational signatures in the infrared spectrum, being ~2100 and 2500 cm, respectively. The structure is isoelectronic with CH, which would arise from the diprotonation of the planar molecule ethene. Diborane is one of many compounds with such unusual bonding.