▁are ▁well ▁character ized . ▁ ▁Binary ▁metal - bor on ▁comp ounds , ▁the ▁metal ▁bor ides , ▁contain ▁bor on ▁in ▁negative ▁ox id ation ▁states . ▁Illustr ative ▁is ▁mag nes ium ▁di bor ide ▁( M g B 2 ). ▁Each ▁bor on ▁atom ▁has ▁a ▁formal ▁− 1 ▁charge ▁and ▁mag nes ium ▁is ▁assigned ▁a ▁formal ▁charge ▁of ▁+ 2 . ▁In ▁this ▁material , ▁the ▁bor on ▁cent ers ▁are ▁trig onal ▁plan ar ▁with ▁an ▁extra ▁double ▁bond ▁for ▁each ▁bor on , ▁forming ▁sheets ▁a kin ▁to ▁the ▁carbon ▁in ▁graph ite . ▁However , ▁unlike ▁hex ag onal ▁bor on ▁nit ride , ▁which ▁la cks ▁electrons ▁in ▁the ▁plane ▁of ▁the ▁c oval ent ▁atoms , ▁the ▁del ocal ized ▁electrons ▁in ▁mag nes ium ▁di bor ide ▁allow ▁it ▁to ▁conduct ▁electric ity ▁similar ▁to ▁is oe lect ron ic ▁graph ite . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁this ▁material ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁high - temper ature ▁super con duct or . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁super con duct or ▁under ▁active ▁development . ▁A ▁project ▁at ▁C ER N ▁to ▁make ▁M g B 2 ▁c ables ▁has ▁resulted ▁in ▁super con duct ing ▁test ▁c ables ▁able ▁to ▁carry ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁am per es ▁for ▁extremely ▁high ▁current ▁distribution ▁applications , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁cont empl ated ▁high ▁lum inos ity ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁had ron ▁coll ider . ▁