Can hydrides react with hydrocarbons? And why? I have read there exist so called "magic" (super strong) acids which can provide a proton to saturated hydrocarbons, producing cation and hydrogen molecule. Can hydrides act in the same manner (pick a proton to form free hydrogen molecule)? And why?
The pKa of sodium or lithium hydride is (solvent dependent) about 35, the pKa of Butyl lithium is around 50 so clearly H- is not strong enough to tear a proton off an unactivated alkane pKa tables here