KHCO2
potassium formate · potassium methanoate
Potassium formate is a metastable, insulating salt used primarily as a chemical intermediate and industrial reagent.
About potassium formate
Potassium formate is a crystalline salt that functions as an insulating, wide-gap material. It exists in a metastable state, requiring specific conditions for synthesis and preservation, which is reflected in the diverse structural data available for this compound across material databases. Its chemical nature as a formate salt makes it a versatile reagent in various industrial processes. It is particularly valued in sectors where its solubility and chemical reactivity can be leveraged for specialized synthesis or as a functional additive.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for potassium formate, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Applications
Where potassium formate is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about potassium formate, answered from cross-validated data.
What is KHCO2?
Potassium formate is a metastable, insulating salt used primarily as a chemical intermediate and industrial reagent.
What is KHCO2 used for?
What is the band gap of KHCO2?
Is KHCO2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is KHCO2 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of KHCO2 are known?
What elements does KHCO2 contain?
Where does the data for KHCO2 come from?
How It Compares
As a standalone compound in this context, potassium formate serves as a primary example of a metastable formate salt. Its insulating electronic character distinguishes it from more conductive or metallic salts, positioning it as a specialized material for applications requiring stable, non-conductive chemical precursors.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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