Patent ID: 8329131

Claim:
A method of synthesizing B 18 H 22 comprising the steps of (a) providing a salt of (B 20 H 18 ) 2− ; (b) dissolving the (B 20 H 18 ) 2− salt in a fluid comprising at least one non-aqueous solvent; (c) contacting the (B 20 H 18 ) 2− salt solution with an acid to generate a hydronium salt of (B 20 H 18 ) 2− ; (d) removing volatile components of the solution in vacuo under conditions conducive to formation of B 18 H 22 by degradation of at least a portion of the hydronium salt of (B 20 H 18 ) 2− ; (e) extracting the residue with water and at least one water immiscible solvent; (f) contacting the aqueous solution with an alkyl amine or an alkyl ammonium salt to precipitate (B 20 H 18 ) 2− salts; (g) repeating steps (b)-(f) at least once; and (h) concentrating the combined non-aqueous solutions generated in step (e) to obtain B 18 H 22 .