Ammonia borane, past as prolog

Abstract

Ammonia borane (NH3BH3), the simplest of the amine boranes, has yielded its secrets grudgingly since its first attempted synthesis in 1923. Here we review aspects of its history that yield insight into its chemistry and properties with special attention to current efforts to develop ammonia borane as a solid hydrogen storage material by improving its synthesis, dehydrogenation characteristics and spent fuel regeneration technologies.