Zinc Hydride - Discovery and Synthesis

Discovery and Synthesis

Zinc(II) hydride was first synthesised in 1947 by Hermann Schlesinger, via a reaction between dimethylzinc and lithium aluminium hydride; a process which was somewhat hazardous due to the pyrophoric nature of Zn(CH3)2.

Zn(CH3)2 + 2 LiAlH4 → ZnH2 + 2 LiAlH3CH3

Later methods were predominantly salt metathesis reactions between zinc halides and alkali metal hydrides, which are significantly safer. Examples include:

ZnBr2 + 2LiH → ZnH2 + 2LiBr
ZnI2 + 2 NaH + → ZnH2 + 2NaI
ZnI2 + 2 LiAlH4 → ZnH2 + AlH3 + 2LiI

Small quantities of gaseous zinc(II) hydride have also been produced by laser ablation of zinc under a hydrogen atmosphere and other high energy techniques. These methods have been used to assess it's gas phase properties.

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