Is the Bonding of LiAlH4 Ionic or Covalent?

[ilovechemistry]

hi guys, i need help on the bonding of LiAlH4. can it considered an ionic bonding because Li is Li+ and AlH4 is AlH4-. seems like a perfect ionic bonding situation to me. or is the bonding simply convalent, permanent-dipole permament-dipole attraction to be exact.

 

[KemiRockarFett]

hi guys, i need help on the bonding of LiAlH4. can it considered an ionic bonding because Li is Li+ and AlH4 is AlH4-. seems like a perfect ionic bonding situation to me. or is the bonding simply convalent, permanent-dipole permament-dipole attraction to be exact.

The tetrahedrons are inside them selfs covalently bonded and the Li+ will polarazie these entites a litle decreasing the ionic bonding a little. To calculate use VASP package and study the DOS-curve.

 

[ilovechemistry]

alright thnx , i guess i'll sort out a way to figure it out!

 

[Kushal]

there is an ionic bonding when you consider Li+ and AlH4-
but, AlH4- is itself a covalent anion. there are 3 Al-H covalent bonds in this molecule... but AlH3 still has a vacant sub-orbital... coordinate covalent bond occurs... an H- bonds with the AlH3 forming AlH4-