What Is Hydroxide?
Hydroxide is a general term for compounds containing the hydroxide ion, OH-. Another term for hydroxide is orate. The hydroxylium ion is referred to as OH+ (cation), while the hydroxide ion is OH- (anion).
The term “hydroxyl radicals” refers to the free group -OH and the atomic group OH. The substituent -OH in a compound is known as a hydroxy group. To denote the presence of the -OH group as a prefix in a compound, the term “hydroxy” is used, as in hydroxyacetic acid. When indicating the -OH group as a suffix, the addition of “-ol” is used, as seen in ethanol.
Uses of Hydroxide
Potassium hydroxide is primarily utilized as a base, preparing stronger basic solutions than sodium hydroxide and being used to titrate the saponification value of fats and oils. It’s also a raw material in commercial cleaning agents, pipe-clogging cleaners, and liquid soap for industrial and general use.
In industrial applications, hydroxide is extensively used, including as a catalyst in tetramethylammonium hydroxide. Its specific uses encompass catalysts for polymerization and condensation reactions, pretreatment agents for gas chromatography, chemicals in photography and printing, photoresist developer solutions, and alkaline electrolytes for rechargeable batteries.
Tricyclohexyltin hydroxide is employed as an insecticide and repellent (e.g., for mites), an insect sterilizer, and an antifungal agent.