Lithium Borohydride

• CAT Number: R045177
• CAS Number: 16949-15-8
• Molecular Formula: BLi
• Molecular Weight: 17.75
• Purity: ≥95%
• Synonyms: Lithium Tetrahydroborate (1:1); Lithium Boron Hydride; Lithium Hydroborate (LiBH4); Lithium Tetrahydroborate
• Storage: -20°C
• IUPAC Name: lithium;boron(1-)
• InChI: InChI=1S/B.Li/q-1;+1
• InChIKey: NZTNZPDOBQDOSO-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• SMILES: [Li+].[B-]

Lithium Borohydride (CAS 16949-15-8) is a tetrahydroborate and known in organic synthesis as  in a reducing agent for esters. Although less common than the related sodium borohydride, the lithium salt offers some advantages, being a stronger reducing agent and highly soluble in ethers, whilst remaining safer to handle than lithium aluminium hydride. 

Reference

1.Banfi, Luca, et al. "Lithium Borohydride." Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (2001).
2.Soai, Kenso, and Atsuhiro Ookawa. "Mixed solvents containing methanol as useful reaction media for unique chemoselective reductions within lithium borohydride." The Journal of Organic Chemistry 51.21 (1986): 4000-4005.
3.Schlesinger, H. I., and Herbert C. Brown. "Metallo borohydrides. III. Lithium borohydride." Journal of the American Chemical Society 62.12 (1940): 3429-3435.