The hydrogenation of alkali metals using lanthanide trichloride and naphthalene as catalyst has been studied. LnCl~3 (Ln=Na, Nd, Sm, Dy, Yb) and naphthalene can catalyze the hydrogenation of sodium under atmospheric pressure and 40℃ to form sodium hydride. The activities of lanthanide trichlorides are in the following order: LaCl~3>NdCl~3>SmCl~3>DyCl~3>YbCl~3. Although lithium proceeds in the same catalytic reaction, the kinetic curve of the lithium hydrogenation is different from that of sodium. Lanthanide trichlorides display no catalytic effect on the hydrogenation of potassium in presence of naphthalene. The mechanism of this reaction has been studied and it is suggested that the anion-radical of alkali metal naphthalene complexes may be the intermediate for the hydrogenation of alkali metals and the function of LnCl~3 is to catalyze the hydrogenation of the intermediate. The products are porous solids with high specific surface area (83m^2/g for NaH) and pyrophoric in air. They are far more active than the commercial alkali metal hydrides. The combination of these hydrides with some transition metal complexes exhibits high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of olefins.

Key words: METAL HYDRIDE, ALKALI METAL, NAPHTHALENE, CATALYTIC EFFECT, SODIUM HYDRIDE, HYDROGEN