Reactions of boron atoms and clusters with methane, methyl bromide, and water under matrix isolation conditions

Boron was evaporated with a pulsed XeCl excimer laser, and the vapor cocondensed on a cold window (near 10 K) with argon mixtures of CH{sub 4}, CH{sub 3}Br, and H{sub 2}O, and {sup 13}C and {sup 2}H labeled analogues. consumption of B and B{sub 2} was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy, and reaction products were monitored with FT-IR. Atom insertion products H{sub 3}CBH, H{sub 3}CBBr, and HOBH were detected. Evidence was found for B{sub 2} reactions with CH{sub 4} and CH{sub 3}Br, suggesting the formation of dinuclear bridges hydrogen species. Larger boron clusters were detected by FT-IR, which were unreactive with CH{sub 4} and, in one cases, with water.