Aggregation of Borate Salts in Hydrocarbon Solvents

The aggregation of ammonium borate salts in hydrocarbon was investigated by 1H, 19F, and 11B pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR. The molecular self-diffusion coefficients of the borate salts, [C(C6H5)3][B(C6F5)4], [N(CH3)2(n-C18H37)2][B(C6F5)4], [N(n-C18H37)4][B(C6F5)4], a neutral borane compound, and a siloxane model compound were measured in toluene, cyclohexane, hexane, and a solvent of mixed alkanes. Diffusion coefficients were determined from the echo attenuation of the stimulated echo pulsed field gradient NMR signal as described by Stejskal and Tanner. In all of the samples studied, the echo decay was observed to be a pure exponential decay, corresponding to a single diffusion coefficient within the resolution of the NMR experiment. The hydrodynamic radius of an equivalent diffusing sphere was calculated from the experimental diffusion coefficients using the Stokes−Einstein relation. We found that the neutral borane and siloxane model compounds are monomeric (nonaggregated) in both the aliphatic and a...