Potassium chlorite
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Potassium chlorite is a potassium salt of chlorous acid (HClO2) having a chemical formula KClO2. It exists as white powder and its anhydrous form easily undergoes decomposition in presence of heat or radiation (especially gamma rays).[1]
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
Potassium chlorite | |
| Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChemSpider | |
| MeSH | 67063160 |
PubChem CID |
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| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| KClO2, ClKO2 | |
| Molar mass | 106.55 g/mol |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling: | |
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| H314 | |
| P260, P264, P280, P301+P330+P331, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P405, P501 | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Properties
Potassium chlorite is a colorless hygroscopic crystal that deliquesces in the air. It decomposes upon heating into potassium chloride and oxygen, emitting light.
- KClO2 → KCl + O2
Potassium chlorite forms orthorhombic cmcm crystals and has been reported to decompose within hours at room temperature.[1][2] It is an oxidizing agent.
Synthesis
Some of the methods of preparation of potassium chlorite are:
- Thermal decomposition of potassium chlorate
- 2 KClO3 → 2 KClO2 + O2
- Reaction of chlorous acid and potassium hydroxide
- HClO2 + KOH → KClO2 + H2O
