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| Names | |
|---|---|
| Other names Potassium sulfocyanate Potassium isothiocyanate (tautomeric form) Potassium thiocyanide Potassium rhodanide | |
| Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol) | |
| 3594799 | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChemSpider |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.005.792 |
| EC Number |
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| 21362 | |
| RTECS number |
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| UNII | |
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| Properties | |
| KSCN | |
| Molar mass | 97.181 g mol−1 |
| Appearance | Colorlessdeliquescent crystals |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 1.886 g/cm3 |
| Melting point | 173.2 °C (343.8 °F; 446.3 K) |
| Boiling point | 500 °C (932 °F; 773 K) (decomposes) |
| 177 g/100 mL (0 °C) 217 g/100 mL (20 °C) | |
| Solubility | acetone: 21.0 g/100 mL ethanol: soluble[citation needed] |
| −48.0·10−6 cm3/mol | |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling: | |
  | |
| Warning | |
| H302,H312,H318,H319,H332,H412 | |
| P261,P264,P270,P271,P273,P280,P301+P312,P302+P352,P304+P312,P304+P340,P305+P351+P338,P310,P312,P322,P330,P337+P313,P363,P501 | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
| Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |
LD50 (median dose) | 854 mg/kg (oral, rat)[1] |
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | ICSC 1088 |
| Related compounds | |
Otheranions | Potassium cyanate Potassium cyanide |
Othercations | Sodium thiocyanate Ammonium thiocyanate |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in theirstandard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |
Potassium thiocyanate is thechemical compound with the molecular formula KSCN. It is an important salt of thethiocyanateanion, one of thepseudohalides. The compound has a low melting point relative to most other inorganic salts.
Aqueous KSCN reacts almost quantitatively withPb(NO3)2 to give Pb(SCN)2, which has been used to convertacyl chlorides to isothiocyanates.[2]
KSCN convertsethylene carbonate toethylene sulfide.[3] For this purpose, the KSCN is first melted under vacuum to remove water. In a related reaction, KSCN convertscyclohexene oxide to the correspondingepisulfide andKOCN.[4]
KSCN is also the starting product for the synthesis ofcarbonyl sulfide.
Dilute aqueous KSCN is occasionally used for moderately realistic blood effects in film and theatre. It can be painted onto a surface or kept as a colorless solution. When in contact withferric chloride solution (or other solutions containingFe3+), the product of the reaction is a solution with a blood red colour, due to the formation of thethiocyanatoironcomplex ion. Thus this chemical is often used to create the effect of 'stigmata'. Because both solutions are colorless, they can be placed separately on each hand. When the hands are brought into contact, the solutions react and the effect looks remarkably likestigmata.[citation needed]
The reaction with Fe3+ mentioned above is used as atest for Fe3+ ions in thelaboratory.
Approximatecocaine purity can be determined using 1 mL 2% cupric sulphate pentahydrate in dilute HCl, 1 mL 2% potassium thiocyanate and 2 mL ofchloroform. The shade of brown shown by the chloroform is proportional to the cocaine content. This test is not cross sensitive to heroin, methamphetamine, benzocaine, procaine and a number of other drugs but other chemicals could cause false positives.[5]
