German team finds a way to link boron atoms with a triple bond
(Phys.org) -- In the chemical world, there are few instances where atoms form triple bonds (where three electrons from an atom are bonded with the electrons from another atom). In fact other than triple bonds between carbon and nitrogen few examples exist at all. One instance that theory had predicted should work was with boron, mainly because of where it sits on the Periodic Table of Elements, but also of course because in its stable state it has just three electrons. Because of this, various chemists over the years have tried to figure out a way to form a compound made of triple bonded boron atoms. Now, it appears a team in Germany at the University of Würzberg, has succeeded. They have published a paper describing their results in the journal Science.