To inorganic chemists, hydrides are compounds or ions made up of hydrogen bonded to an electropositive (or a less electronegative) element. Hydrides can be formed with almost all main-group elements, but inorganic hydrides are usually classified iinto four main groups: covalent, ionic, transition metal, and metallic hydrides. Ionic hydrides form between alkali and alkaline earth metals of group I and II metals like lithium, sodium, and calcium. Transition metal hydrides usually contain complexing ligands. Metallic hydrides or interstitial hydrides are formed by transition metals, lanthanides, or actinides.
Some of the popular reducing agents used for chemical transformations in research laboratories are metal borohydrides, metal aluminum hydrides, and diisobutylaluminium hydride (DIBAL). Superhydride, lithium triethylborohydride, is a strong and selective reducing agent. These hydrides reduce several functional groups including aldehydes, ketones, α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds, imines, nitro compounds, oximes, esters, lactones, amides, and acid anhydrides. Alkali hydrides are widely used in organic synthesis. Alkali earth metal hydrides like calcium hydride are effective desiccants for the removal of trace waters from aprotic solvents. Hydride complexes are widely used in a variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, such as hydroformylation and hydrodesulfurization.
Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a range of hydrides in a variety of formats, including custom and bulk quantities.