Hydrides

Organic Chemistry is a tricky branch of Chemistry because it has a lot of compounds, their reactions, their properties, and so on. This can make it a bit difficult to be able to learn all the terms and their names by heart. Hydrides are chemical compounds that have hydrogen in them. As the name suggests, it is clear that hydrides have something to do with hydrogen, of course. That might put the question of what are hydrides in your mind immediately. Well, in simple words, hydrides refer to any compounds that form a bond with hydrogen or have hydrogen present in them. There are many types of hydrides as well. The term may look very simple on the outside but it is far more complicated. 

Let’s dive into the world of hydrides and discover some of the important hydrides questions that can be asked in the examination. Without further ado, let’s get started! 

What are Hydrides? 

A hydride has a hydrogen atom in its compound. The hydride is the negative ion or anion of the hydrogen atom. That’s how it forms compounds of its own. The hydrogen compounds are formed when the centre has basic, reducing, or nucleophilic properties. Mostly in hydrides, the hydrogen atom is bonded to the most electropositive group of elements.

It is also said that hydrides are multi-centered that have metallic bonding. It can be of many varieties. They are polymers, discrete molecules, ionic solids, bulk metals, and so on. Commonly, hydrides act as lewis bases by donating electrons. They are reducing agents. However, some metal hydrides behave as both acids and hydrogen atom donors. 

Applications of Hydrides

Now that we have discussed what hydrides are, we will discuss various applications of hydrides. They form an integral part of hydrides nodes. 

Hydrides are known for their reducing properties. Usually, they donate electrons in any chemical reaction. Therefore, hydrides are strong bases and whenever they react with weak bronsted acids, they release dihydrogen. 

Hydrides like calcium hydrides are used as drying agents. They find application in removing excess water from organic solvents. In such a case, the hydrides go on to react with water which releases dihydrogen and hydroxide salts. 

The hydrides also serve as catalysts in many catalytic cycles that are heterogeneous. For instance, hydrogenation, hydrosilylation, and hydroformylation. It is also said that certain enzymes like hydrogenase also work via hydrides. 

Only under extreme conditions, free hydrides anions are present. They cannot be stimulated for homogenous solutions. However, many compounds possess a hydrogen center. Further, hydrides are classified as:

• Ionic or saline hydrides.
• Metallic hydrides.
• Covalent hydrides.

Types of Hydrides

Hydrides are basically into three major groups. These types are decided based upon the elements that form bonds with the hydrogen atom. Moreover, the types of hydrides are also decided according to the chemical bonding. This is one of the major hydrides questions asked in the examinations. Let’s have a quick and detailed look at all of them. 

Ionic or Saline hydrides

These hydrides are formed with the hydrogen atom reacting with alkali metals or alkaline earth metals. They are highly electropositive. They form the major part of the S-block elements. These hydrides do not dissolve in basic solvents. That is why they are used as bases. 

The main examples of ionic hydrides are NaH, KH, and so on. All these hydrides have hydrogen as an anion.

Covalent Hydrides

These hydrides are formed when we see the hydrogen atom react with electronegative elements like carbon, silicon, nitrogen, and so on. Generally, These compounds are nonmetallic. These hydrides are either gases or liquids. The main examples are SiH4,  NH3, and CH4. 

Metallic Hydrides

In this type of hydride, the hydrogen atom forms a bond with the metal. This is the reason it is known as a metallic hydride. The bond form here is mostly covalent. However, the bond formed between the metal and hydrogen can be ionic too. They are transition metals. They have high melting and boiling questions.

The other name for metal hydrides is interstitial hydrides. These are formed when the hydrogen atom reacts with the elements of the D-block and F-block. The metals of the seven, eight, and nine groups do not form any bonds. 

What are the uses of hydrides?

Hydrides find several uses in the world of chemistry. From research methods to daily needs, hydrides can be found everywhere. Numerous uses of hydrides are mentioned below:

• Metal hydrides find application in heat storage.
• Hydrides are used as bases for the synthesis of organic compounds.
• Hydrides are also used as reducing agents.
• Hydrides also find many uses in battery storage technology.
• They are also used as drying agents.

Conclusion 

In this module, we learned about the various topics related to what are hydrides, the application of hydrides, the various types of hydrides, and how they are useful to us.

Hydrides find several applications in the laboratory as well as in real life. Hydrides are any compound that has hydrogen atoms in them. They form the electronegative part of the compound. The hydrogen compounds are formed when the centre has basic, reducing, or nucleophilic properties. Mostly in hydrides, the hydrogen atom is bonded to the most electropositive group of elements. Hydrides are known for their reducing properties. Usually, they donate electrons in any chemical reaction. Therefore, hydrides are strong bases and whenever they react with weak bronsted acids, they release dihydrogen. Hydrides like calcium hydrides are used as drying agents.