Lithium hydride

Lithium hydride (LiH) is an ionic compound of lithium and hydrogen. It reacts readily with water, releases hydrogen gas, and serves as a strong reducing agent and a hydrogen-storage material.

Ionic bonding: Chemical bonding caused by electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. LiH consists of lithium cations and hydride anions held together by electrostatic attraction.
Hydrogen storage: Methods for storing hydrogen for later use as a fuel or chemical feedstock. LiH binds hydrogen as hydride and can release hydrogen through reaction with water.
Lithium: The chemical element with atomic number 3, an alkali metal and the lightest metal. Lithium forms the Li⁺ cation that pairs with hydride in LiH.
Pyrophoricity: The tendency of a substance to ignite spontaneously on exposure to air. Finely divided LiH can ignite in air, especially when contaminated or heated.
Hydride ion: The anion H⁻, a hydrogen atom carrying one extra electron. Hydrogen in LiH occurs as hydride, the strongly basic and reducing anion.
Chemical hydride: A hydrogen-containing compound used to store or transfer hydrogen chemically. LiH is a reactive chemical hydride whose hydrogen can be liberated by hydrolysis.
Hydrogen: The chemical element with atomic number 1, whose simplest isotope has one proton and one electron. Hydrogen becomes the hydride component of LiH and is released as H₂ during hydrolysis.
Corrosive substance: A material that chemically damages living tissue or other substances on contact. LiH forms caustic lithium hydroxide on contact with moisture, creating severe exposure hazards.
Hydrolysis: A chemical reaction in which a substance is cleaved or transformed by water. Water reacts with LiH to produce lithium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
Hydrogenation: The addition of hydrogen to a molecule, often changing its saturation or functional groups. LiH can supply hydride in reduction chemistry, though it is not itself a conventional hydrogenation catalyst.

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