Production of metal borohydrides and organic onium borohydrides

摘要

A process is described for preparing metal borohydrides and onion borohydrides in an electrolysis cell which comprises an anolyte compartment containing an anode and a catholyte compartment containing a cathode, the anolyte and catholyte compartments being separated from each other by a cation exchange membrane which is effective at a pH below 7, said process comprising (A) charging an anolyte comprising an aqueous solution of at least one acid to the anolyte compartment; (B) charging a catholyte comprising an aqueous solutiuon prepared from a metal boron oxide or an organic onium boron oxide to the catholyte compartment; (C) passing a current through the electrolysis cell to produce the metal borohydride or an organic inium borohydride in the catholyte compartment; and (D) removing at least a portion of the catholyte from the catholyte compartment. In one preferred embodiment, quaternary ammonium borohydrides are prepared utilizing quaternary ammonium boron oxides in the aqueous catholyte and inorganic acids such as sulfuric acid in the anolyte solution.