Potassium polonide is a

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 K₂ Po. It is a

polonide A polonide is a chemical compound of the radioactive element polonium with any element less electronegative than polonium. Polonides are usually prepared by a direct reaction between the elements at temperatures of around 300–400 °C... They ...

, a set of very chemically stable compounds of polonium..

Characteristics

Potassium polonide is thermally more unstable and has stronger

electron affinity The electron affinity (''E''ea) of an atom or molecule is defined as the amount of energy released when an electron attaches to a neutral atom or molecule in the gaseous state to form an anion. ::X(g) + e− → X−(g) + energy Note that this is ...

than potassium telluride (K₂Te).

Production

Potassium polonide may be produced from a

redox reaction Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

between

hydrogen polonide Polonium hydride (also known as polonium dihydride, hydrogen polonide, or polane) is a chemical compound with the formula Po H2. It is a liquid at room temperature, the second hydrogen chalcogenide with this property after water. It is very unsta ...

and

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 atmosph ...

metal: :H₂Po + 2 K → K₂Po + H₂ It may also be produced by heating potassium and polonium together at 300–400 °C. At higher temperature, this reaction may reverse.

Crystal structure

sodium polonide Sodium polonide is a radioactive chemical compound with the formula Na2 Po. This salt is a polonide, a set of very chemically stable compounds of polonium.. Due to the difference in electronegativity (ΔEN) between sodium and polonium (≈ 1.1 und ...

, potassium polonide has the

antifluorite In solid state chemistry, the fluorite structure refers to a common motif for compounds with the formula MX2. The X ions occupy the eight tetrahedral interstitial sites whereas M ions occupy the regular sites of a face-centered cubic (FCC) structure ...

structure.

References

{{inorganic-chemistry-stub Polonides Potassium compounds Fluorite crystal structure