Group 13 hydride


Group 13 hydrides are chemical compounds containing group 13-hydrogen bonds.

Trihydrides

The simplest series has the chemical formula XH3, with X representing any of the boron family.
CompoundChemical formulaGeometryModel
boron trihydride
hydrogen boride
BH3
aluminium trihydride
hydrogen aluminide
AlH3
gallium trihydride
hydrogen gallide
GaH3
indium trihydride
hydrogen indigide
InH3
thallium trihydride
hydrogen thallide
TlH3
nihonium trihydride
hydrogen nihonide
NhH3

The great variety of boranes show a huge covalent cluster chemistry, but the heavier group 13 hydrides do not. Despite their formulae, however, they tend to form polymers. Alane is a strong reducing agent with octahedrally coordinated aluminium atoms. Gallane is even harder to synthesise and decomposes to gallium and hydrogen at room temperature. Indigane and thallane are too unstable to exist for any significant time when not coordinated.
Simple MH3 group 13 hydrides in gas phase have a trigonal planar molecular geometry. This is due to the sp2 hybridized center and vacant p-orbital, and contrasts with the trigonal pyramidal geometry of the pnictogen hydrides which are sp3 hybridized and contain a non-bonding lone pair of electrons.
All group 13 hydrides have their hydrogen anions such as BH4 and AlH4.

Hexahydrides

This series has the chemical formula X2H6.
CompoundChemical formulaGeometryModel
DiboraneB2H6
DialaneAl2H6
DigallaneGa2H6
DiindiganeIn2H6
DithallaneTl2H6
DinihonaneNh2H6