Question

Lithium hydride can be used to prepare other useful hydrides. Beryllium hydride is one of them. Suggest a route for the preparation of beryllium hydride starting from lithium hydride. Write chemical equations involved in the process.

Answer 1

`BeH_(2)` can be prepared from the corresponding halides by the reduction with complex alkali metal hydrides such as lithium aluminium hydride `LiAIH_(4)`.
`8LiH + AI_(2)CI_(6)rarr 2LiAIH_(4)+6LiCI`
`2BeCI_(2)+LiAIH_(4)rarr 2BeH_(2)+LiCI +AICI_(3)`