Potassium cyanide

Potassium cyanide (KCN) is a highly toxic inorganic salt that dissolves readily in water. It is used in chemical synthesis, metal plating, and gold extraction.

Cyanide: Cyanide is a chemical group containing carbon triple-bonded to nitrogen, and salts or compounds containing it. KCN releases cyanide ions, the species responsible for its acute toxicity and metal-binding behavior.
Gold extraction: Gold extraction separates gold from ore or other materials through physical and chemical processing. KCN is one cyanide source used in processes that dissolve gold from mined material.
Potassium: Potassium is a soft, reactive alkali metal with atomic number 19. Potassium ions form the positive component of the KCN crystal and aqueous solution.
Potassium thiocyanate: Potassium thiocyanate is an ionic salt containing potassium and the thiocyanate ion, SCN⁻. Replacing cyanide’s carbon with sulfur produces a related salt with different chemical behavior.
Cytochrome c oxidase: Cytochrome c oxidase is the mitochondrial enzyme that transfers electrons to oxygen during cellular respiration. Cyanide binds this enzyme’s heme iron and disrupts oxygen use in cells.
Silver cyanidation: Silver cyanidation dissolves silver in cyanide solutions to enable its recovery from ores. The same metal-complexing chemistry used with gold can extract silver using cyanide.
Ionic bond: An ionic bond is an electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. KCN consists of potassium cations and cyanide anions held together in an ionic solid.
Sodium cyanide: Sodium cyanide is a highly toxic inorganic salt with formula NaCN. It supplies the same cyanide ion as KCN but has sodium rather than potassium as its cation.
Hydrogen cyanide: Hydrogen cyanide is a volatile, highly toxic compound with formula HCN. Contact with acids can convert cyanide salts, including KCN, into volatile hydrogen cyanide.
Metal plating: Metal plating applies a layer of metal to a surface by electrochemical or chemical processes. KCN has served as a cyanide source in some plating baths.

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