Some important characteristics of boranes:
(i) Lower boranes are colourless gases while higher boranes are volatile liquids or solids.
They undergo spontaneous combustion in air due to strong affinity of boron for oxygen.
B2H6 + 3O2 → B2O3 + 3H2O + Heat
(ii) Boranes react with alkali metal hydrides in diethyl ether to form borohydride complexes.
