Solvents for Lithium Aluminum Hydride and Sodium Borohydride

Solvents for Lithium Aluminum Hydride and Sodium Borohydride 

Both aluminum hydride and borohydride react with protic solvents such as water and ethanol. Lithium aluminum hydride reacts violently with water to form hydrogen gas, which may burn explosively because of the heat generated in the reaction. Therefore, lithium aluminum hydride can only be used in aprotic solvents such as diethyl ether. 

The borohydride anion is much less reactive than aluminum hydride. It reacts only slowly with protic solvents such as water. It can be used in a basic aqueous solution or in a solvent such as ethanol. It reacts with these solvents at a much slower rate than with an aldehyde or a ketone. 

---