Potassium Hexafluorophosphate
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Potassium hexafluorophosphate is the
chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...
with the
formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwee ...
KPF6. This colourless salt consists of
potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosphe ...
cation An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...
s and
hexafluorophosphate Hexafluorophosphate is an anion with chemical formula of . It is an octahedral species that imparts no color to its salts. is isoelectronic with sulfur hexafluoride, , and the hexafluorosilicate dianion, , and hexafluoroantimonate . In this anio ...
anion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...
s. It is prepared by the reaction: : PCl5 +
KCl Potassium chloride (KCl, or potassium salt) is a metal halide Salt (chemistry), salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous lustre, vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in wa ...
+ 6 HF → KPF6 + 6 HCl This exothermic reaction is conducted in liquid
hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen fluoride (fluorane) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . This colorless gas or liquid is the principal industrial source of fluorine, often as an aqueous solution called hydrofluoric acid. It is an important feedstock i ...
. The salt is stable in hot alkaline aqueous solution, from which it can be recrystallized. The sodium and
ammonium The ammonium cation is a positively-charged polyatomic ion with the chemical formula or . It is formed by the protonation of ammonia (). Ammonium is also a general name for positively charged or protonated substituted amines and quaternary a ...
salts are more soluble in water whereas the rubidium and caesium salts are less so. KPF6 is a common laboratory source of the hexafluorophosphate anion, a non-coordinating anion that confers lipophilicity to its salts. These salts are often less soluble than the closely related tetrafluoroborates.


References

{{Hexafluorophosphates Potassium compounds Hexafluorophosphates