Question

Identify the correct statements regarding structure of diborane:

• A. There are two bridging hydrogen atoms
• B. Each boron atom forms four bonds
• C. The hydrogen atoms are not in the same plane
• D. each boron atom is in $s{p}^3$ hybridized state

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (C), (D)

The correct options are
A There are two bridging hydrogen atoms
B each boron atom is in $s{p}^3$ hybridized state
C The hydrogen atoms are not in the same plane
D Each boron atom forms four bonds

The structure of diborane is shown in the figure.

The four-terminal hydrogen atoms and the two boron atoms lie in one plane.

Above and below this plane, there are two bridging hydrogen atoms.

The four-terminal B-H bonds are regular two centre-two electron bonds while the two bridge (B-H-B) bonds are different and can be described in terms of three centre - two e bonds.

The terminal hydrogens do not lie in the same plane as the boron hydrogen banana bonds.

Each B atom uses $s{p}^3$ hybrids for bonding. Out of the four $s{p}^3$ hybrids on each B atom, one is without an electron shown in broken lines.