Potassium hydride

Potassium hydride, KH, is a chemical compound of potassium and hydrogen. It is a hydride of potassium. It reacts with water according to the reaction:

KH + H₂O → KOH + H₂

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The reaction is so vigorous that often the hydrogen gas produced will ignite, producing a lilac flame from the presence of potassium ions in the hydrogen fire. Potassium hydride is also pyrophoric, and requires careful handling. For this reason it is sold commercially as a slurry in mineral oil. In one study the compound is dispersed in paraffin to allow for better dispensing ^[1]

Potassium hydride is a powerful base (more reactive than sodium hydride), which can be used to deprotonate organic molecules.

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