Tripotassium phosphate


Tripotassium phosphate, also called potassium phosphate tribasic, is a water-soluble salt which has the chemical formula K3PO4.x Tripotassium phosphate is a strong base.

Production

Tripotassium phosphate can be produced by the reaction of ammonium phosphate with potassium chloride.
3PO4 + 3KCl -> K3PO4 + 3NH4Cl

Use in organic chemistry

Tripotassium phosphate has few applications except as a basic reagent in organic synthesis. It has been used as a catalyst for certain organic reactions.
Tripotassium phosphate has been used a catalyst for many organic reactions. It is cost-effective and has been used as an efficient catalyst to replace more expensive alternatives. Some of the reactions catalysed by K3PO4are listed below:
  1. Hydrated tripotassium phosphate can be used as a catalyst for the removal of BOC protecting group from secondary BOC amines using methanol as a solvent. Microwave radiation is used to aid the reaction.
  2. K3PO4 is used as a catalyst for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diaryl ethers using BF4 as the solvent. Aryl methane-sulfonates are deprotected and then followed by a nucleophilic aromatic substitution with activated aryl halides.
  3. K3PO4was found to be one of the catalysts that aids in the coupling reaction of aryl halides with terminal alkynes. It also plays a role in the deacetonation of 4-aryl-2-methylbut-3-yn-2-ol intermediates.
  4. K3PO4can be used as one of the catalysts for the addition of aryl halides to phenols and aliphatic alcohols.

    Hazards

Tripotassium phosphate is strongly basic.