More metallomimetic chemistry from boron

An image showing molecular orbitals

Source: © Lai-Sheng Wang/Brown University

One boron atom bonds like a transition metal in two different ways

The central atom in an umbrella-shaped boron cluster can bond like a transition metal in two different ways, new research shows. It adds to boron’s propensity for forming unusual bonds, including other recent studies showing that it can bond with sodium and neon.