PbH4

PbH4 is the chemical formula for tetrahydridoplumbane, also known as plumbane. It is a chemical compound of lead and hydrogen. PbH4 is an unstable, colorless gas. It is highly reactive and decomposes readily, even at room temperature, into lead and hydrogen gas. This instability makes it difficult to handle and study.

Plumbane is predicted to have a tetrahedral molecular geometry, similar to methane (CH4) and silane (SiH4). However, due to its extreme instability, its physical properties have not been definitively determined. It is not found naturally and must be synthesized in a laboratory. Various methods have been explored for its synthesis, often involving reactions with strong reducing agents.

The compound is considered a p-block organometallic compound and falls into the category of hydrides. Its high reactivity stems from the relatively weak lead-hydrogen bonds. Due to its instability and the toxicity of lead, plumbane has very limited practical applications. Research into plumbane is primarily of academic interest, focusing on understanding the bonding and reactivity of heavy metal hydrides.