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The mechanism of hydrogen release from solid state ammonia borane (AB) has been investigated via in situ solid state (11)B and (11)B{(1)H} MAS-NMR techniques in external fields of 7.1 T and 18.8 T at a decomposition temperature of 88 degrees C, well below the reported melting point. The decomposition of AB is well described by an induction, nucleation and growth mechanistic pathway. During the induction period, little hydrogen is released from AB; however, a new species identified as a mobile phase of AB is observed in the (11)B NMR spectra. Subsequent to induction, at reaction times when hydrogen is initially being released, three additional species are observed: the diammoniate of diborane (DADB), [(NH(3))(2)BH(2)](+)[BH(4)](-), and two BH(2)N(2) species believed to be the linear (NH(3)BH(2)NH(2)BH(3)) and cyclic dimer (NH(2)BH(2))(2) of aminoborane. At longer reaction times the sharper features are replaced by broad, structureless peaks of a complex polymeric aminoborane (PAB) containing both BH(2)N(2) and BHN(3) species. The following mechanistic model for the induction, nucleation and growth for AB decomposition leading to formation of hydrogen is proposed: (i) an induction period that yields a mobile phase of AB caused by disruption of the dihydrogen bonds; (ii) nucleation that yields reactive DADB from the mobile AB; and (iii) growth that includes a bimolecular reaction between DADB and AB to release the stored hydrogen.

We report high resolution 15N NMR probing of the solid-solid phase transition of 15N-labeled ammonia borane (NH3BH3) at 225 K. Both the 15N isotropic chemical shift (delta iso) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate (T1-1) exhibited strong anomalies around 225 K. The analysis of T1-1 using the Bloembergen, Purcell, and Pound model showed that the motional correlation time, tau, increased from about 1 to 100 ps and the corresponding Arrhenius activation energy increased from 6 to 14.5 kJ/mol on going through the transition toward lower temperatures. The temperature dependence of delta iso was interpreted by an extension of the Bayer model. The time scale of the underlying motion was found to be in a reasonable agreement with the T1-1 data. These results imply that the NH3 rotor motion plays a pivotal role in the transition mechanism and that the transition is of both order-disorder and displacive type.