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Names | |
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IUPAC name
Lithium triethylborohydride
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Other names
Superhydride
LiTEBH |
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Identifiers | |
22560-16-3 ![]() |
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3D model (Jmol) | Interactive image |
ChemSpider |
2006168 ![]() |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.040.963 |
PubChem | 2723993 |
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Properties | |
Li(C2H5)3BH | |
Molar mass | 105.95 g/mol |
Appearance | Colorless to yellow liquid |
Density | 0.890 g/cm3, liquid |
Boiling point | 66 °C (151 °F; 339 K) for THF |
reactive | |
Hazards | |
Main hazards | highly flammable corrosive Causes burns Probable Carcinogen |
Safety data sheet | External MSDS |
R-phrases | 11-14/15-19-34 |
S-phrases | 16-26-33-36/37/39-43-45 |
NFPA 704 | |
Related compounds | |
Related hydride
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sodium borohydride sodium hydride lithium aluminium hydride |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references | |
Lithium triethylborohydride is the organoboron compound with the formula LiEt3BH). Commonly referred to as LiTEBH or Superhydride, it is a powerful reducing agent used in organometallic and organic chemistry. LiBHEt3 is far more reducing than lithium borohydride and lithium aluminium hydride. It is a colorless or white solid but is typically marketed as a THF solution. The related reducing agent, sodium triethylborohydride, is commercially available as toluene solutions.
LiBHEt3 is prepared by the reaction of lithium hydride (LiH) and triethylborane (Et3B) in tetrahydrofuran (THF):
Its THF solutions are stable indefinitely in the absence of moisture and air.
LiBHEt3 reduces a wide range of functional groups, not only aldehydes, ketones, acid chlorides, but also esters and even tertiary amides. The immediate product of these reductions are lithium alkoxides, which, upon hydrolytic workup, are converted to the alcohols. The stoichiometry for the reduction of ketones is shown:
Even sterically hindered substrates are reduced, as shown with 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-pentanone.
LiBHEt3 deprotonates carboxylic acids, but does not reduce the resulting lithium carboxylates. For similar reasons, it reduces acid anhydrides to alcohols and the carboxylic acid, not to the diol. Similarly lactones reduce to diols. α,β-Enones undergo 1,4-addition to give lithium enolates. Disulfides reduce to thiols (via thiolates).