Tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate is a

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

with the formula NBu₄PF₆. It is a white powder that is used as an electrolyte in nonaqueous

electrochemistry Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential difference, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with the potential difference as an outco ...

. It is highly soluble in polar organic solvents such as

acetone Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone), is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest and smallest ketone (). It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odour. Acetone is miscib ...

and acetonitrile. The salt consists of a positively charged tetrabutylammonium, a quaternary ammonia cation and a weakly basic

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 an ...

anion. These species are chemically inert, which allows the salt to serve as an inert electrolyte over a wide potential range. Given the sensitivity of electrochemical experiments, this salt is usually further purified, e.g., by recrystallization from aqueous or absolute ethanol.

References

{{Hexafluorophosphates Tetrabutylammonium salts Hexafluorophosphates