Why Are Metallic Hydrides Important in Hydrogenation Reactions?
In hydrogenation reactions, metallic hydrides act as excellent hydrogen donors. They can adsorb hydrogen gas and dissociate it into atomic hydrogen, which can then interact with substrates. This property makes them highly efficient catalysts for converting alkenes to alkanes, reducing ketones and aldehydes to alcohols, and other similar transformations. The ability to control the release and uptake of hydrogen is what makes metallic hydrides valuable for such applications.
