KH

Potassium hydride · Potassium monohydride

Potassium hydride is a stable, insulating binary compound used extensively as a strong base in organic chemical synthesis.

HK
Crystal structure of KH
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Potassium hydride

Potassium hydride is a binary inorganic compound composed of potassium and hydrogen. It exists as a wide-gap insulator and is recognized for its high thermodynamic stability, occupying a position on the convex hull that reflects its robust chemical nature.

This material is widely utilized in synthetic chemistry, primarily serving as a potent base for deprotonation reactions. Its ability to facilitate complex organic transformations makes it an essential reagent in laboratory settings where strong basicity is required to drive specific chemical pathways.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Potassium hydride, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

3.43 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

66
4 databases, 14 space groups
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting KH.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where Potassium hydride is used.

Strong base in organic synthesisDeprotonation agentReducing agent in chemical manufacturing
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Potassium hydride, answered from cross-validated data.

What is KH?

Potassium hydride is a stable, insulating binary compound used extensively as a strong base in organic chemical synthesis.

More questions
What is KH used for?
Potassium hydride (KH) is used in strong base in organic synthesis, deprotonation agent, and reducing agent in chemical manufacturing.
What is the band gap of KH?
Potassium hydride (KH) has a DFT-computed band gap of 3.43 eV across 66 reported structures.
Is KH a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 3.43 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is KH thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Potassium hydride (KH) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of KH are known?
66 structures of KH are reported across 4 databases, spanning 14 distinct space groups.
How is KH synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for KH include solid state.
What elements does KH contain?
Potassium hydride (KH) contains H and K (2 elements).
Where does the data for KH come from?
KH data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a fundamental binary hydride, potassium hydride serves as a key reference point for the reactivity of alkali metal hydrides. It is distinguished by its high reactivity and effectiveness as a base compared to lighter group members, functioning as a primary tool for chemists who require rapid and complete deprotonation in non-aqueous environments.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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