[7] Unlike the sodium analog, it can reduce esters to alcohols, nitriles and primary amides to amines, and can open epoxides.

[3] Unlike the aluminium analog, it does not react with nitro groups, carbamic acids, alkyl halides, or secondary and tertiary amides.

[8] Although this reaction is usually spontaneous and violent, somewhat-stable aqueous solutions of lithium borohydride can be prepared at low temperature if degassed, distilled water is used and exposure to oxygen is carefully avoided.

[nb 1] The high specific energy density of lithium borohydride has made it an attractive candidate to propose for automobile and rocket fuel, but despite the research and advocacy, it has not been used widely.

[10] In view of the complexity of recycling mechanisms for metal hydrides,[11] such high energy-conversion efficiencies are not practical with present technology.