LiH
Lithium hydride · Lithium monohydride
Lithium hydride is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound primarily utilized for hydrogen storage and as a reactive chemical intermediate.

About Lithium hydride
Lithium hydride is a binary compound consisting of lithium and hydrogen that functions as a robust, semiconducting hydride. As a thermodynamically stable member of the hydrogen storage class, it sits firmly on the convex hull, indicating significant structural integrity under standard conditions.
This material is highly regarded for its high hydrogen density, making it a subject of extensive research for energy storage solutions. Its unique electronic character and stability profile allow it to serve as a versatile precursor in chemical synthesis and as a specialized reagent in industrial processes.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for Lithium hydride, aggregated across 4 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting LiH.
Applications
Where Lithium hydride is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lithium hydride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is LiH?
Lithium hydride is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound primarily utilized for hydrogen storage and as a reactive chemical intermediate.
What is LiH used for?
What is the band gap of LiH?
Is LiH a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is LiH thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of LiH are known?
How is LiH synthesized?
What elements does LiH contain?
Where does the data for LiH come from?
How It Compares
Within the hydrogen storage hydrides class.
Within the diverse landscape of hydrogen storage hydrides, Lithium hydride is distinguished by its exceptional thermodynamic stability compared to more complex or volatile members like AlH3 or BH3. While compounds such as MgH2 and CaH2 are frequently studied for their reversible hydrogen cycling, Lithium hydride remains a foundational reference point in the class due to its structural simplicity and well-documented behavior across numerous reported phases.
Related Compounds
Other Hydrogen Storage Hydrides in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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