The high-energy compound, which has the propensity to undergo spontaneous explosive decomposition, was first described in 1954 by Egon Wiberg and Horst Michaud of the University of Munich.

[1] The first method is by the addition of diborane to a solution of hydrazoic acid in diethyl ether at a temperature range between −20 °C and −10 °C.

[1] The compound can also be obtained by passing boron tribromide vapor over solid silver azide in high vacuum.

[2] A similar gas-phase synthesis uses the spontaneous reaction of boron trichloride with hydrazoic acid.

[7] The gas-phase decomposition of the compound is also of interest as a method of coating surfaces with boron nitride.