Lithium Aluminum Hydride CAS:16853-85-3

It is used as a powerful reducing agent inorganic synthesis. Except for olefinic doublebonds, almost all organic functional groupsare reduced by lithium aluminum hydride(Sullivan and Wade 1980). It is used extensivelyin pharmaceutical synthesis and in catalytichydrogenation.

Lithium aluminum hydride is among the most important industrial reducingagents. It is used extensively in organic syntheses and also in catalytichydrogenation. Reactant or reagent for:
1. The preparation of thermoplastic polyester polyamides from oleic acid
2. Lithium-polymer batteries
3. Hydrodefluorination of gem-difluoromethylene derivatives
4. Asymmetric aldol reactions
5. Synthesis of Li-Al-N-H composites with hydrogen absorption / desorption properties
6. LAH is a powerful reducing agent for many different reduction reactions such as that of ketones to alcohols

Lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) is an effective reducing agent that can be used in chemical synthesis to reduce esters, carboxylic acids, acyl chlorides, aldehydes, epoxides, and ketones into the corresponding alcohols. In addition, amide, nitro, nitrile, imine, oxime, and azide compounds are converted into amines.
LiAlH4 is a promising substance for hydrogen storage applications. Its properties include high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen densities . It can also be used as a reducing agent in the preparation of reduced graphene oxide (rGO).

Lithium aluminum hydride is prepared by reaction of lithium hydride with aluminum chloride in diethylether:
4LiH + AlCl3 →(C2H5)2O→LiAlH4+3LiCl

White crystalline powder when pure; monoclinic crystals; grey in the presence of aluminum impurity; stable below 120°C in dry air; turns grey on standing; hygroscopic; density 0.917 g/cm³; melts at 190°C (decomposes); reacts with water and alcohols; soluble in diethylether and tetrahydrofuran (about 30 and 13 g/100g, respectively at 25°C; also soluble in dimethylcellosolve; sparingly soluble in dibutylether; slightly soluble in dioxane (1g/L) and practically insoluble in hydrocarbons; can be solubilized in benzene by crown ether.