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Superhydride

Lithium triethylborohydride
Skeletal formula of lithium triethylborohydride
Names
IUPAC name
Lithium triethylborohydride
Other names
Superhydride
LiTEBH
Identifiers
3D model (Jmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.040.963
PubChem CID
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
Flammability code 2: Must be moderately heated or exposed to relatively high ambient temperature before ignition can occur. Flash point between 38 and 93 °C (100 and 200 °F). E.g., diesel fuel Health code 3: Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury. E.g., chlorine gas Reactivity code 2: Undergoes violent chemical change at elevated temperatures and pressures, reacts violently with water, or may form explosive mixtures with water. E.g., phosphorus Special hazard W: Reacts with water in an unusual or dangerous manner. E.g., cesium, sodiumNFPA 704 four-colored diamond
Related compounds
Related hydride
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).
YesY  (what is YesYN ?)
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. It is a colorless or white solid but is typically marketed and used as a THF solution. The related reducing agent sodium triethylborohydride is commercially available as toluene solutions.

LiBHEt3 is far more reducing than lithium borohydride and lithium aluminium hydride due to reduced back-bonding from an alkyl group to boron. This destabilizes the reagent.

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.

Alkyl halides are reduced to the alkanes by LiBHEt3.

LiBHEt3 reduces a wide range of functional groups, but so so many other hydride reagents. Instead, LiBHEt3 is reserved for difficult substrates, such as sterically hindered carbonyls, as illustrated by reduction of 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-pentanone. Otherwise, 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). LiBHEt3 deprotonates carboxylic acids, but does not reduce the resulting lithium carboxylates. For similar reasons,


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