Question
Describe the structure of diborane.

Answer

In diborane, two $BH _2$ units are linked by two bridged hydrogens. Therefore, it has eight $B - H$ bonds. However, diborane has only 12 valance electrons and are not sufficient to form normal covalent bonds. The four-terminal B-H bonds are normal covalent bonds (two centre - twoelectron bond or $2 c -2 e$ bond). The remaining four electrons have to used for the bridged bonds, i.e. two-three centred B-H-B bonds utilise two electrons each.
Hence, these bonds are three centre - two-electron bonds. The bridging hydrogen atoms are in a plane as shown in the figure. In dibome, the boron is $sp ^3$ hybridised. Three of the four $sp ^3$ hybridised orbitals contains a single electron and the fourth orbital is empty.
Two of the half-filled hybridised orbitals of each boron overlap with the two hydrogens to form four-terminal 2 c -2e bonds, leaving one empty and one half filled hybridised orbitals on each boron. The Three centre - two-electron bonds, B-H-B bond formation involves overlapping the half-filled hybridised orbital of one boron, the empty hybridised orbital of the other boron and the half-filled 1s orbital of hydrogen.
Image
Structure of diborane

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