Merck, 221473-500G, Potassium hydroxide

General description
Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic salt mainly used as a precursor to synthesize other potassium compounds such as potassium acetate, potassium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate. On a commercial scale, it is synthesized by the electrolysis of potassium chloride.
Application
Potassium hydroxide may be used in the following processes:
Conversion of nitriles to amide in tert-butanol.
Cross-coupling of aryl halides with different sulfur-, oxygen- and nitrogen-based nucleophiles in dimethyl sulfoxide.
As an activator for the preparation of activated carbons from corn cobs.
As a base for the N-alkylation of nitrogen heterocycles in polyethylene glycol-ether solvents.
Synthesis of (S)-1-(4-benzyl-2-thioxothiazolidin-3-yl)propan-1-one from (S)-phenylalaninol.
To catalyze the polymerization of propylene oxide.