Novel inorganic alkali and alkaline earth hydrides of the formula MH*, MH2*, and MH*X wherein M is the metal, X, is a halide, and H* comprises a novel high binding energy hydride ion were synthesized in a high temperature gas cell by reaction of atomic hydrogen with a catalyst and MH, MH2, Or MX corresponding to an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal compound, respectively. Novel hydride ions of the corresponding novel hydride compounds were characterized by an extraordinary upfield shifted peak observed by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.