Boric acid is a weak monobasic Lewis acid (electron pair acceptor), which reacts reversibly with alcohols. It is used in dermal and women′s hygiene products due to its mild antibacterial and antifungal effects. Boric acid is used as a buffer in ophthalmic products. It acts as an effective solid lubrication agent because of its molecular structure. Boric acid finds its applications in glass making, fire retardant. Boric acid is used in biochemistry in buffer solutions. It also forms complex equilibria in solution, with the tetraborate ion (B4O7 2- ) being the predominant species. Borate buffers are involved in discontinuous electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis systems for the separation of proteins and nucleic acids.

Boric acid has been used:

• to prepare boric buffer for the quantification of primary amine groups at the surface of nanocapsules
• to study its effects on epigenetic change
• for the estimation of protein in wheatgrass using Kjeldahl method

Used to promote amidations of carboxylic acids and amines in catalytic amounts. This technology avoids the requirement of preactivation of the carboxylic acid or use of coupling reagents.
Intensified Azeotropic Distillation: A Strategy for Optimizing Direct Amidation