[limpet chicken]

Recently I have been looking at producing my own hydride reducing agents, in particular, sodium borohydride, and LiAlH4, as an alternative to Ebay

For NaBH4 production, I have noted two methods, I might buy a cylinder of diborane, and pass that over heated sodium metal in a glass tube, or I might try electrolysis of a fused mixture of sodium borate and NaOH, then dissolving the formed borohydride in ether or THF dried with sodium dust, in which, NaOH should be insoluable.

I still haven't been able to find a synthesis for LiAlH4, and it doesn't ever seem to be sold on ebay, unlike NaBH4, anyone here know of a synthesis for LiAlH4?

Or, perhaps a synthesis of diborane, could boron be hydrogenated directly, in a high-pressure heated apparattus built for the job? (I am thinking 9-10 inch thick steel, to avoid rupture)

Thanks.

[movies]

By the way, NaBH₄ isn't really soluble in THF.