Potassium bromide

Potassium bromide (KBr) is an ionic salt composed of potassium cations and bromide anions. It is used in infrared spectroscopy, photographic processing, and veterinary medicine.

KBr pellet: A pressed disk of potassium bromide powder used to hold a solid sample for infrared spectroscopy. Its infrared transparency lets spectroscopy samples be measured without a strongly absorbing support.
Ionic bonding: Chemical bonding produced by electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. KBr’s potassium and bromide ions are held together by this attraction.
Potassium: A soft, reactive alkali metal with atomic number 19 and symbol K. Potassium supplies the positive ion in potassium bromide.
Sodium bromide: An ionic compound of sodium and bromine with formula NaBr. It shares bromide chemistry with KBr but has a different cation and crystal properties.
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy: A technique that derives an infrared spectrum from an interferogram using a Fourier transform. KBr pellets are a standard way to prepare solid samples for this technique.
Potassium ion: A positively charged potassium atom, usually present in compounds as K⁺. Each formula unit of KBr contains one potassium cation.
Bromine: A reddish-brown halogen element with atomic number 35 and symbol Br. Bromine forms the bromide ion that pairs with potassium in KBr.
Potassium chloride: An ionic compound of potassium and chlorine with formula KCl. Replacing bromide with the smaller chloride ion changes the lattice and infrared behavior.
Photographic fixer: A chemical bath that removes undeveloped silver halide from photographic film or paper. Bromide ions can restrain development and were used in some photographic processing solutions.
Bromide: The negatively charged bromine ion, Br⁻, formed when bromine gains an electron. Each KBr formula unit pairs one bromide anion with one potassium cation.

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