Lithium Hydrazinidoborane Ammoniate LiN2H3BH3.0.25NH3, a Derivative of Hydrazine Borane

Boron- and nitrogen-based materials have shown to be attractive for solid-state chemical hydrogen storage owing to gravimetric hydrogen densities higher than 10 wt% H. Herein, we report a new derivative of hydrazine borane N2H4BH3, namely lithium hydrazinidoborane ammoniate LiN2H3BH3.0.25NH(3). It is easily obtained in ambient conditions by ball-milling N2H4BH3 and lithium amide LiNH2 taken in equimolar amounts. Both compounds react without loss of any H atoms. The molecular and crystallographic structures of our new compound have been confirmed by NMR/FTIR spectroscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. The complexation of the entity LiN2H3BH3 by some NH3 has been also established by thermogravimetric and calorimetric analyses. In our conditions, LiN2H3BH3.0.25NH(3) has been shown to be able to release H-2 at temperatures lower than the parent N2H4BH3 or the counterpart LiN2H3BH3. It also liberates non-negligible amounts of NH3 at temperatures lower than 100 degrees C. This is actually quite detrimental for chemical H storage, but alternatively LiN(2)H(3)BH(3.)0.25NH(3) might be seen as a potential NH3 carrier.