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Names | |||
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Preferred IUPAC name Potassium acetate | |||
Other names Potassium ethanoate, E261 | |||
Identifiers | |||
3D model (JSmol) | |||
ChEMBL | |||
ChemSpider | |||
ECHA InfoCard | 100.004.385 | ||
E number | E261 (preservatives) | ||
PubChem CID | |||
UNII | |||
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |||
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Properties | |||
C2H3KO2 | |||
Molar mass | 98.142 g·mol−1 | ||
Appearance | White deliquescent crystalline powder | ||
Density | 1.8 g/cm3 (20 °C) [1] 1.57 g/cm3 (25 °C) | ||
Melting point | 292 °C (558 °F; 565 K) | ||
Boiling point | Decomposes | ||
216.7 g/100 mL (0.1 °C) 233.8 g/100 mL (10 °C) 268.6 g/100 mL (25 °C) 320.8 g/100 mL (40 °C) 390.7 g/100 mL (96 °C) [2] | |||
Solubility | Soluble in alcohol, liquid ammonia Insoluble in ether, acetone | ||
Solubility in methanol | 24.24 g/100 g (15 °C) 53.54 g/100 g (73.4 °C) [1] | ||
Solubility in ethanol | 16.3 g/100 g [1] | ||
Solubility in sulfur dioxide | 0.06 g/kg (0 °C) [1] | ||
Acidity (pKa) | 4.76 | ||
Structure | |||
Monoclinic | |||
Thermochemistry | |||
Heat capacity (C) | 109.38 J/mol·K [3] | ||
Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 150.82 J/mol·K [3] | ||
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) | −722.6 kJ/mol [1] | ||
Pharmacology | |||
B05XA17 ( WHO ) | |||
Hazards | |||
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |||
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |||
LD50 (median dose) | 3250 mg/kg (oral, rat) [4] | ||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). |
Potassium acetate (also called potassium ethanoate), (CH3COOK) is the potassium salt of acetic acid. It is a hygroscopic solid at room temperature.
It can be prepared by treating a potassium-containing base such as potassium hydroxide or potassium carbonate with acetic acid:
This sort of reaction is known as an acid-base neutralization reaction.
At saturation, the sesquihydrate in water solution (CH3COOK·1½H2O) begins to form semihydrate at 41.3 °C. [2]
Potassium acetate (as a substitute for calcium chloride or magnesium chloride) can be used as a deicer to remove ice or prevent its formation. It offers the advantage of being less aggressive on soils and much less corrosive: [5] for this reason, it is preferred for airport runways although it is more expensive. [6]
Potassium acetate is the extinguishing agent used in Class K fire extinguishers because of its ability to cool and form a crust over burning oils.
Potassium acetate is used in processed foods as a preservative and acidity regulator. In the European Union, it is labeled by the E number E261; [7] it is also approved for usage in the USA, [8] Australia, and New Zealand. [9] Potassium hydrogen diacetate (CAS #4251-29-0 ) with formula KH(OOCCH3)2 is a related food additive with the same E number as potassium acetate.
In medicine, potassium acetate is used as part of electrolyte replacement protocols in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis because of its ability to break down to bicarbonate to help neutralize the acidotic state.
In molecular biology, potassium acetate is used to precipitate Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and SDS-bound proteins to allow their removal from DNA.
Potassium acetate is used in mixtures applied for tissue preservation, fixation, and mummification. Most museums today use a formaldehyde-based method recommended by Kaiserling in 1897 which contains potassium acetate. [10] This process was used to soak Lenin's corpse. [11]
Potassium acetate was incorrectly used in place of potassium chloride when putting a prisoner to death in Oklahoma in January 2015. [12] Charles Frederick Warner was executed on January 15, 2015 with potassium acetate; this was not public knowledge until the scheduled execution of Richard Glossip was called off. [13] In August 2017, the U.S. state of Florida executed Mark James Asay using a combination of etomidate, rocuronium bromide, and potassium acetate. [14] The drug was also used in the February 2023 execution of Donald Dillbeck, once again in combination with etomidate and rocuronium bromide. [15]
Potassium acetate is used as a catalyst in the production of polyurethanes. [16]
It is used as a diuretic and urinary alkalizer. Before modern chemistry, it was variously called terra foliata tartari, sal Sennerti , tartarus regeneratus,arcanum tartari and sal diureticus. [17] In 1760 it was used in the preparation of Cadet's fuming liquid ((CH3)2As)2O, the first organometallic compound ever produced.
In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group attached to an R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is often written as R−COOH or R−CO2H, sometimes as R−C(O)OH with R referring to an organyl group, or hydrogen, or other groups. Carboxylic acids occur widely. Important examples include the amino acids and fatty acids. Deprotonation of a carboxylic acid gives a carboxylate anion.
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broader sense to include euthanasia and other forms of suicide. The drugs cause the person to become unconscious, stops their breathing, and causes a heart arrhythmia, in that order.
Potassium chloride is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt-like taste. Potassium chloride can be obtained from ancient dried lake deposits. KCl is used as a fertilizer, in medicine, in scientific applications, domestic water softeners, and in food processing, where it may be known as E number additive E508.
An acetate is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base. "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion typically found in aqueous solution and written with the chemical formula C
2H
3O−
2. The neutral molecules formed by the combination of the acetate ion and a positive ion are also commonly called "acetates". The simplest of these is hydrogen acetate with corresponding salts, esters, and the polyatomic anion CH
3CO−
2, or CH
3COO−
.
Acetic anhydride, or ethanoic anhydride, is the chemical compound with the formula (CH3CO)2O. Commonly abbreviated Ac2O, it is the simplest isolable anhydride of a carboxylic acid and is widely used as a reagent in organic synthesis. It is a colorless liquid that smells strongly of acetic acid, which is formed by its reaction with moisture in the air.
Sodium acetate, CH3COONa, also abbreviated NaOAc, is the sodium salt of acetic acid. This colorless deliquescent salt has a wide range of uses.
Acetyl chloride is an acyl chloride derived from acetic acid. It belongs to the class of organic compounds called acid halides. It is a colorless, corrosive, volatile liquid. Its formula is commonly abbreviated to AcCl.
Triacetin is the organic compound with the formula C3H5(OCOCH3)3. It is classified as a triglyceride, i.e., the triester of glycerol with acetic acid. It is a colorless, viscous, and odorless liquid with a high boiling point and a low melting point. It has a mild, sweet taste in concentrations lower than 500 ppm, but may appear bitter at higher concentrations. It is one of the glycerine acetate compounds.
Ammonium acetate, also known as spirit of Mindererus in aqueous solution, is a chemical compound with the formula NH4CH3CO2. It is a white, hygroscopic solid and can be derived from the reaction of ammonia and acetic acid. It is available commercially.
Rocuronium bromide is an aminosteroid non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker or muscle relaxant used in modern anaesthesia to facilitate tracheal intubation by providing skeletal muscle relaxation, most commonly required for surgery or mechanical ventilation. It is used for standard endotracheal intubation, as well as for rapid sequence induction (RSI).
Octyl acetate, or octyl ethanoate, is an organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)7O2CCH3. It is classified as an ester that is formed from 1-octanol (octyl alcohol) and acetic acid. It is found in oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus products.
Etomidate is a short-acting intravenous anaesthetic agent used for the induction of general anaesthesia and sedation for short procedures such as reduction of dislocated joints, tracheal intubation, cardioversion and electroconvulsive therapy. It was developed at Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1964 and was introduced as an intravenous agent in 1972 in Europe and in 1983 in the United States.
Sodium formate, HCOONa, is the sodium salt of formic acid, HCOOH. It usually appears as a white deliquescent powder.
Dipotassium phosphate (K2HPO4) (also dipotassium hydrogen orthophosphate; potassium phosphate dibasic) is the inorganic compound with the formula K2HPO4.(H2O)x (x = 0, 3, 6). Together with monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4.(H2O)x), it is often used as a fertilizer, food additive, and buffering agent. It is a white or colorless solid that is soluble in water.
Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is a deicer and can be used as an alternative to road salt. It is approximately as corrosive as normal tap water, and in varying concentrations can be effective in stopping road ice from forming down to around −27.5 °C (−17.5 °F) (its eutectic temperature). CMA can also be used as an H2S capture agent.
Sodium diacetate is a compound with formula NaH(C
2H
3O
2)
2. It is a salt of acetic acid. It is a colorless solid that is used in seasonings and as an antimicrobial agent.
Acetic acid, systematically named ethanoic acid, is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula CH3COOH. Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component of vinegar apart from water. It has been used, as a component of vinegar, throughout history from at least the third century BC. Acetic acid is also known as acetyl hydroxide (AcOH).
The execution of John Grant took place in the U.S. state of Oklahoma by means of lethal injection. Grant was sentenced to death for the 1998 murder of prison cafeteria worker Gay Carter.
Mark James Asay was an American spree killer who was executed by the state of Florida for the 1987 racially motivated murders of two men in Jacksonville, Florida. He was convicted, sentenced to death, and subsequently executed in 2017 at Florida State Prison by lethal injection. Asay's execution generated attention as it was noted by multiple news agencies that he was the first white person to be executed in Florida for killing a black person. He was also the first person to be executed in the United States using the drug etomidate.
Glossip v. Chandler is a United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma case in which the plaintiffs challenged the State of Oklahoma's execution protocol. The initial lawsuit, Glossip v. Gross, rose to the United States Supreme Court in 2015 at the preliminary injunction stage and involved an earlier version of Oklahoma's lethal injection protocol. The case was reopened in the District Court in 2020 following an end to Oklahoma's moratorium on executions.