Reduction of ZnCl2 using LiBH4 in mesitylene yielded zinc nanoparticles (Zn-NPs), borane (BH3) and closo-dodecaborate (B12H12)2−. The BH3 evolved gas was trapped as Ph3P:BH3 adduct while closo-(B12H12)2− was extracted by methanol and characterized from spectral data.
