ABSTRACT
The hydrides of lithium and sodium are more stable than those of other alkali metals and, hence, are more widely used. They are useful for their strong basic properties as described earlier (they belong to the category of so-called superbases), and to a lesser extent for their reducing properties. Their use as reducing agents in organic chemistry is limited by their low solubility in inert solvents. Their role in this regard is generally restricted to precursors of the more active and/or selective LiAlH4, NaBH4, LiBHR3, and AlHR2.
