Tris [3, 5-bis (trifluoromethyl) phenyl] borane (1, BArF18), has been synthesised on a practical scale for the first time. According to the Gutmann–Beckett method it is a more powerful Lewis acid than B (C6F5) 3. It forms a 'frustrated Lewis pair'with 2, 2, 6, 6- tetramethylpiperidine which cleaves H2 to form a salt containing the novel anion [μ-H (BArF18) 2]−.