Potassium amide

Potassium amide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula KNH2. Like other alkali metal amides, it is a white solid that hydrolyzes readily. It is a strong base.
Production.
Potassium amide is produced by the reaction of ammonia with potassium. The reaction typically requires a catalyst.
Structure.
The compound has been characterized by X-ray crystallography as the solvent-free form as well as the mono- and diammonia solvates. In KNH2(NH3)2, the potassium centers are each bonded to two amido ligands and four ammonia ligands, all six of which bridge to adjacent potassium centers. The result is a chain of hexacoordinate potassium ions. The K-NH2 distances are 2.7652(11) whereas the K-NH3 distances are respectively 2.9234(11) and 3.0698(11) Å.