Caesium hydride


Caesium hydride or cesium hydride is a compound of caesium and hydrogen. It is an alkali metal hydride.
It was the first substance to be created by light-induced particle formation in metal vapor, and showed promise in early studies of an ion propulsion system using caesium. It is the most reactive stable alkaline metal hydride of all. It reacts with water extremely vigorously.
The caesium nuclei in CsH can be hyperpolarized through interactions with an optically pumped caesium vapor in a process known as spin-exchange optical pumping. SEOP can increase the nuclear magnetic resonance signal of caesium nuclei by an order of magnitude.
It is very difficult to make caesium hydride in a pure form. Caesium hydride can be produced by heating caesium carbonate and metallic magnesium in hydrogen at 580 to 620 degrees Celsius.

Crystal structure

At room temperature and atmospheric pressure, CsH has the same structure as NaCl.