Lithium borate

Lithium borate, also known as lithium tetraborate, dilithium tetraborate or boron lithium oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula Li₂B₄O₇. A colorless solid, lithium borate is used in making glasses and ceramics. It is not to be confused with B₈Li₂O₁₃, also called lithium borate.

Its structure consists of a polymeric borate backbone. The Li⁺ centers are bound to four and five oxygen ligands. Boron centers are trigonal and tetrahedral.

Lithium borate can be used in the laboratory as LB buffer for gel electrophoresis of DNA and RNA. It is also used in the borax fusion method to vitrify mineral powder specimens for analysis by WDXRF spectroscopy.

• LB buffer
• Lithium metaborate (LiBO₂)