H 1 4 , ▁it ▁is ▁ 7 / 5 ▁or ▁+ 1 . 4 . ▁In ▁these ▁comp ounds ▁the ▁ox id ation ▁state ▁of ▁bor on ▁is ▁often ▁not ▁a ▁whole ▁number . ▁ ▁The ▁bor on ▁nit rides ▁are ▁notable ▁for ▁the ▁variety ▁of ▁structures ▁that ▁they ▁adopt . ▁They ▁exhib it ▁structures ▁analog ous ▁to ▁various ▁all otrop es ▁of ▁carbon , ▁including ▁graph ite , ▁diam ond , ▁and ▁nan ot ub es . ▁In ▁the ▁diam ond - like ▁structure , ▁called ▁cub ic ▁bor on ▁nit ride ▁( trad ename ▁Bor azon ), ▁bor on ▁atoms ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁t etra hed ral ▁structure ▁of ▁car b ons ▁atoms ▁in ▁diam ond , ▁but ▁one ▁in ▁every ▁four ▁B - N ▁b onds ▁can ▁be ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁coordinate ▁c oval ent ▁bond , ▁where in ▁two ▁electrons ▁are ▁don ated ▁by ▁the ▁nit ro gen ▁atom ▁which ▁acts ▁as ▁the ▁Lewis ▁base ▁to ▁a ▁bond ▁to ▁the ▁Lewis ▁acid ic ▁bor on ( III ) ▁centre . ▁Cub ic ▁bor on ▁nit ride , ▁among ▁other ▁applications , ▁is ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁ab ras ive , ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁a ▁hard ness ▁compar able ▁with ▁diam ond ▁( the ▁two ▁subst ances ▁are ▁able ▁to ▁produce ▁scratch es ▁on ▁each ▁other ). ▁In ▁the ▁B N ▁comp ound ▁analog ue ▁of ▁graph ite , ▁hex ag onal ▁bor on ▁nit ride ▁( h - B N ), ▁the ▁posit ively ▁charged ▁bor on ▁and ▁neg