Potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula KNO. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K and nitrate ions NO, and is therefore an alkali metal nitrate. It occurs in nature as a mineral, niter. It is a source of nitrogen, from which it derives its name. Potassium nitrate is one of several nitrogen-containing compounds collectively referred to as saltpeter or saltpetre. Major uses of potassium nitrate are in fertilizers, tree stump removal, rocket propellants and fireworks. It is one of the major constituents of gunpowder (black powder) and has been used since the
Potassium tert-butoxide Potassium tert-butoxide Potassium "tert"-butoxide is the chemical compound with the formula K(CH)CO. This colourless solid is a strong base (pKa of conjugate acid around 17), which is useful in organic synthesis. It exists as a tetrameric cubane-type cluster. It is often seen written in chemical literature as potassium "t"-butoxide. The compound is often depicted as a salt, and it often behaves as such, but it is not ionized in solution. Potassium "t"-butoxide is commercially available as a solution and as a solid, but it is often generated "in situ" for laboratory use because samples are so sensitive and older samples