Final answer:
Yes, sodium borohydride and lithium aluminium hydride can be applied in inorganic chemistry to reduce compounds like potassium dichromate. They act as hydride donors, but reactivity and medium compatibility should be considered, especially since hydrides do not react well in an acidic environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Both sodium borohydride (NaBH4) and lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH4) are well-known reducing agents in organic chemistry, often used to reduce aldehydes, ketones, and other functional groups. These hydride donors indeed can be applied in inorganic chemistry.
NaBH4 and LiAlH4 can donate hydride ions (H-) which are useful for reducing various inorganic compounds, though with considerations of reactivity and compatibility.
For example, reducing acidified potassium dichromate with these agents is theoretically possible, but care should be taken as hydrides like H- will not survive well in an acid medium. Instead, you would first use the reducing agent to donate the hydride ion, and then, in a separate step, you could add acid to provide protons to oxygen atoms.
It's worth noting that the ability of NaBH4 versus LiAlH4 differs in terms of reactivity, with NaBH4 being less reactive and LiAlH4 having a broader reducing ability, able to reduce carboxylic acids and their derivatives in organic contexts.
In inorganic chemistry, reducing agents are chosen based on the specific reaction and desired outcome.
For instance, the reduction of metal salts for isolation of metals, such as in the production of potassium or magnesium, typically involves chemical reduction with elements that act as reducing agents. Chemical reduction is usually preferred over methods like electrolysis due to cost efficiency.
Therefore, while primarily associated with applications in organic chemistry, sodium borohydride and lithium aluminium hydride also play roles in the reduction of inorganic compounds, which is fundamental in both laboratory settings and industrial processes for isolating representative metals.