Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Potassium osmate
open-in-new
<h2 id="structure">Structure</h2> <p>The complex anion is <a href="/facts/Octahedral_molecular_geometry/bNXLVvks">octahedral</a>. Like related d2 dioxo complexes, the oxo ligands are trans.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> The Os=O and Os-OH distances are 1.75(2) and 1.99(2) Å, respectively. It is a relatively rare example of a <a href="/facts/Metal_oxo_complex/CTR37kYS">metal oxo complex</a> that obeys the <a href="/facts/18e_rule/KNfG6tpM">18e rule</a>. </p> <h2 id="preparation">Preparation</h2> <p>The compound was first reported by <a href="/facts/Edmond_Fr%25C3%25A9my/7obrl4C5">Edmond Frémy</a> in 1844.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> Potassium osmate is prepared by reducing <a href="/facts/Osmium_tetroxide/cxmYVnFK">osmium tetroxide</a> with ethanol:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> 2 <a href="/facts/Osmium_tetroxide/cxmYVnFK">OsO4</a> + C2H5OH + 5 KOH → CH3CO2K + 2 K2[OsO2(OH)4] <p>Alkaline oxidative fusion of osmium metal also affords this salt.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="reactions">Reactions</h2> <p>Potassium osmate reacts with acids to produce osmyl salts, such as potassium osmyl chloride and the osmyl bromide. It reacts with <a href="/facts/Oxalic_acid/w4sCtT89">oxalic acid</a> to produce potassium osmyl oxalate.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> K2[OsO2(OH)4] + 4HCl → K2(OsO2)Cl4 + 4H2O K2[OsO2(OH)4] + 2H2C2O4 → K2(OsO2)(C2O4)2 + 4H2O <p>It also reacts with <a href="/facts/Potassium_nitrite/QqxMeMQ3">potassium nitrite</a> to yield potassium osmyl nitrite.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="applications">Applications</h2> <p>Potassium osmate is used for the oxidative hydroxylation of organic compounds, notably the Sharpless dihydroxylation of olefins, as well as a catalyst for other asymmetric syntheses, such as carboranylated diols. It is also used for the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="images">Images</h2> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Sodium_hexachloroosmate/5oHTcHpI">Sodium hexachloroosmate</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>F. Albert Cotton; Geoffrey Wilkinson (1966). Advanced Inorganic Chemistry: A Comprehensive Treatise. New York, Interscience Publishers. p. 1007. <a href="/wiki/F._Albert_Cotton" target="_blank">/wiki/F._Albert_Cotton</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>F. Albert Cotton; Geoffrey Wilkinson (1966). Advanced Inorganic Chemistry: A Comprehensive Treatise. New York, Interscience Publishers. p. 1007. <a href="/wiki/F._Albert_Cotton" target="_blank">/wiki/F._Albert_Cotton</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Li, Guigen; Chang, Han-Ting; Sharpless, K. Barry (1996). "Catalytic Asymmetric Aminohydroxylation (AA) of Olefins". Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 35 (4): 451–4. doi:10.1002/anie.199604511. <a href="/wiki/K._Barry_Sharpless" target="_blank">/wiki/K._Barry_Sharpless</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>R. K. Murmann, C. L. Barnes "Redetermination of the crystal structure of potassium trans-(dioxo)-tetra(hydroxo)osmate(VI), K2[Os(OH)4(O)2]" Z. Kristallogr. NCS 217, 2002, pp. 303–304. doi:10.1524/ncrs.2002.217.jg.303 <a href="/wiki/Z._Kristallogr._NCS" target="_blank">/wiki/Z._Kristallogr._NCS</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Frémy, E. "Ueber das Osmium" Journal für Praktische Chemie 1844 vol.33, 406-416. doi:10.1002/prac.18440330160 <a href="/wiki/Edmond_Fr%C3%A9my" target="_blank">/wiki/Edmond_Fr%C3%A9my</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>John M. Malin (1980). "Potassium Tetrahydroxodioxoosmate(VI) and trans ‐Bis(Ethylenediamine)Dioxoosmium(VI) Chloride". Potassium Tetrahydroxodioxoosmate(VI) and trans-Bis(Ethylenediamine)Dioxoosmium(VI) Chloride. Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 20. pp. 61–63. doi:10.1002/9780470132517.ch18. ISBN 9780470132517. <a href="9780470132517" target="_blank">9780470132517</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>F. Albert Cotton; Geoffrey Wilkinson (1966). Advanced Inorganic Chemistry: A Comprehensive Treatise. New York, Interscience Publishers. p. 1007. <a href="/wiki/F._Albert_Cotton" target="_blank">/wiki/F._Albert_Cotton</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Prakash Satya (2013). "Platinum Metals-IV:Osmium". Advanced Chemistry of Rare Elements, 5th Ed. India: S Chand and Company Limited. p. 617. <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>J. Newton Friend (1920). "Osmium and its compounds". A textbook of inorganic chemistry, vol.IX Part I Cobalt, Nickel, and The Elements of The Platinum Group (PDF). London: Charles Griffin and Company, Limited. pp. 223–225. Retrieved 3 July 2025. <a href="https://dn790003.ca.archive.org/0/items/textbookinorgani00libg_516/textbookinorgani00libg_516.pdf" target="_blank">https://dn790003.ca.archive.org/0/items/textbookinorgani00libg_516/textbookinorgani00libg_516.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Prakash Satya (2013). "Platinum Metals-IV:Osmium". Advanced Chemistry of Rare Elements, 5th Ed. India: S Chand and Company Limited. p. 617. <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Potassium osmate". Heraeus Precious Metals. Retrieved 5 July 2025. <a href="https://www.heraeus-precious-metals.com/en/products-solutions-by-metal/osmium/potassium-osmate/" target="_blank">https://www.heraeus-precious-metals.com/en/products-solutions-by-metal/osmium/potassium-osmate/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Potassium osmate(VI) dihydrate". Sigma Aldrich. Retrieved 5 July 2025. <a href="https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/product/aldrich/209104?srsltid=AfmBOoo70UVoCh0tPlvnhz4p8gcUuZPP8kvUXMLr0iA2qbS00c0MrLtw" target="_blank">https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/product/aldrich/209104?srsltid=AfmBOoo70UVoCh0tPlvnhz4p8gcUuZPP8kvUXMLr0iA2qbS00c0MrLtw</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>