Patent ID: 8753600

Claim:
A method of synthesizing octadecaborane (B 18 H 22 ), the method comprising: (a) contacting the salt of borane anion B 20 H 18 2− in a reaction solvent with an acid to produce a solution of H 2 B 20 H 18 ●xH 2 O, wherein the reaction solvent is between about 80% and about 95% acetonitrile by volume; (b) concentrating the mixture comprising H 2 B 20 H 18 ●xH 2 O; (c) removing water from the reaction vessel in the presence of a B 18 H 22 solubilizing solvent that remains essentially chemically inert in the system, wherein the solubilizing solvent comprises an arene compound; and (d) separating insoluble byproducts from the reaction mixture through (i) filtration and/or (ii) concentration of reaction solvent, dissolution of B 18 H 22 into a dissolution solvent and filtration of byproducts.