Production of B.sub.2 H.sub.6 from BCl.sub.3 + H.sub.2 at room temperature by laser induced chemistry

A method for producing B.sub.2 H.sub.6 by laser induced chemistry comprising:

• i. metering the gaseous reactants BCl.sub.3 and H.sub.2 in admixture into a laser cell to achieve a predetermined pressure ratio of said gaseous reactants up to a total pressure of about 0.5 atmosphere in said laser cell, said predetermined pressure ratio being in the range of about 1 of BCl.sub.3 to about 1 to 4 of H.sub.2 to ensure consonance between the concentration of said gaseous reactants and the power level of a cw CO.sub.2 multiline laser employed to irradiate said gaseous reactants to produce the intermediate HBCl.sub.2 ;
• ii. irradiating said gaseous reactants in admixture by a cw CO.sub.2 multiline laser operating at a predetermined power level of said cw CO.sub.2 multiline laser for a predetermined time period of a few seconds to effect a laser induced chemistry reaction which produces the intermediate HBCl.sub.2 ;
• iii. allowing said HBCl.sub.2 to undergo a disproportionation reaction for a predetermined time period from about 2 hours to about 24 hours to form the product B.sub.2 H.sub.6 in said laser cell in the presence of unreacted products;
• iv. obtaining a spectra of the static products of said admixture to ascertain that said product B.sub.2 H.sub.6 has been formed in a desired yield amount;
• and,
• v. separating said B.sub.2 H.sub.6 from said unreacted products in said laser cell.