Lithium chloride is useful for the production of lithium metal, and for the generation of Mn(0) species which can be used in free radical cyclizations. It can serve as a flame colorant to generate dark red flames, a brazing flux for aluminum in automobiles, a hygrometer, and a desiccant for drying air streams. On exposure to air, it becomes a solution with the concentration directly related to relative humidity of the atmosphere, and hence serves as a relative humidity standard in calibrating hygrometers. Apart from being a source of chloride, it serves as an additive in the Stille reaction in organic synthesis, and to precipitate RNA from cellular extracts. Being biologically significant, it finds applications in a wide variety of assays to study cell-fate and neurobiology. Lithium chloride has been found to inhibit virus infection.
This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.