KHO

Potassium hydroxide · Caustic potash, Potash lye

Potassium hydroxide is a stable, insulating inorganic compound commonly used as a strong industrial base.

HKO
Crystal structure of KHO
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About Potassium hydroxide

Potassium hydroxide is a highly stable inorganic compound that exists as a wide-band-gap insulator. Its robust thermodynamic profile ensures its reliability across a variety of chemical processes where a strong alkaline environment is required.

This material is a fundamental reagent in the chemical industry, valued for its reactivity and stability. It serves as a precursor to many potassium-based salts and is essential for the synthesis of various industrial products.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for Potassium hydroxide, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

3.62–3.68 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

10
3 databases, 5 space groups
Uses

Applications

Where Potassium hydroxide is used.

Chemical manufacturingSoap productionElectrolyte in alkaline batteriespH regulationFood processing
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is KHO?

Potassium hydroxide is a stable, insulating inorganic compound commonly used as a strong industrial base.

More questions
What is KHO used for?
Potassium hydroxide (KHO) is used in chemical manufacturing, soap production, electrolyte in alkaline batteries, pH regulation, and food processing.
What is the band gap of KHO?
Potassium hydroxide (KHO) has a DFT-computed band gap of 3.62–3.68 eV across 10 reported structures.
Is KHO a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a wide band gap up to 3.68 eV it is an insulator / wide-band-gap material.
Is KHO thermodynamically stable?
Yes — Potassium hydroxide (KHO) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of KHO are known?
10 structures of KHO are reported across 3 databases, spanning 5 distinct space groups.
What elements does KHO contain?
Potassium hydroxide (KHO) contains H, K, and O (3 elements).
Where does the data for KHO come from?
KHO data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a primary inorganic hydroxide, this compound serves as a cornerstone of industrial alkaline chemistry, acting as a benchmark for reactivity and stability in its chemical class.

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

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