TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The two distinct compounds comprise an amide and hydride. The imide is of formula Mc(NH)-2c/2 (preferably MgNH) or lithium imide of formula Li2NH or MgNH. The two distinct compounds comprise a first compound of formula MId(NH2)-1d (amide) (preferably LiNH2, especially Mg(NH2)2) and a second compound of formula MIIfHf (hydride) (preferably LiH, especially MgH2).M = at least one cationic species other than hydrogen (preferably Ba, Ca, Eu, La, Li Mg, Sr, Th or their mixtures, more preferably T1, especially Ba, Be, Ca, Cs, Eu, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Rb, Sm, Sr, Yb, and their mixtures, particularly Al, Be, B, Mg, Li and their mixtures);T1 = CH3, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Hg, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Nd, Ni, Pb, Pr, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Th, Ti, Tl, W, Y, Yb, Zn or Zr);c = an average valence state of M;MI andMII = cationic species or its mixture other than hydrogen (preferably T1, preferably Ba, Be, Ca, Cs, Eu, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Rb, Sm, Sr, Yb, and their mixtures, especially Al, Be, B, Mg, Li and their mixtures);d = an average valence state of MI; andf = an average valence state MII. EXAMPLE - Lithium amide was mixed an equal molar ratio of lithium hydride using standard ball milling techniques at room temperature under argon gas for 10 hours and heated to release the hydrogen was conducted at 230degreesC and at pressure 130 kPa under helium atmosphere in the high pressure thermogravimetric analysis apparatus to obtain imide Li2NH (A1). Lithium nitride (Li3N) and (A1) was balled milled at an equal molar ratio to obtain imide (Li2NH) (A2). The ammonia was evolved from lithium amide (LiNH2) and heated at at least 150degreesC under flowing helium and/or vacuum conditions. Higher temperatures cause greater reaction rate, and greater then 300degreesC. Lithium nitride (Li3N) was hydrogenated by at 159degreesC and exposed to hydrogen at pressures up to 85 bars (8500 kPa). It was not feasible to separate such LiH from the desirable amide product. Further, empirical observations had shown that the reverse of the reaction does not occur (i.e. irreversible reaction), under the conditions of temperature and pressure studied. There was speculation as to possible reversibility at much higher and impractical temperatures. Clearly, starting from lithium nitride resulted in excess lithium hydride, which does not contribute to reversible hydrogen storage.