Kinetic and thermodynamic investigation of hydrogen release from ethane 1,2-di-amineborane

The thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen (H(2)) release from ethane 1,2-di-amineborane (EDAB, BH(3)NH(2)CH(2)CH(2)NH(2)BH(3)) were measured using Calvet and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), pressure-composition isotherms, and volumetric gas-burette experiments. The results presented here indicate that EDAB releases similar to 10 wt.% H(2) at temperatures ranging from 100 degrees C to 200 degrees C in two moderately exothermic steps, approximately -10 +/- 1 kJ mol(-1) H(2) and -3.8 +/- 1 kJ mol(-1) H(2). Isothermal kinetic analysis shows that EDAB is more stable than ammonia borane (AB) at temperatures lower than 100 degrees C; however, the rates of hydrogen release are faster for EDAB than for AB at temperatures higher than 120 degrees C. In addition, no volatile impurities in the H2 released by EDAB were detected by mass spectrometry upon heating with 1 degrees C min(-1) to 200 degrees C in a calorimeter.