Potassium methoxide formed by  reaction of violently with water forming potassium hydroxide and methanol. The aqueous solutions obtained are highly basic and have a corrosive effect.

Application

Potassium methoxide is used as a chemical intermediate. It is also used in Biodiesel production and in fuel additives. It acts as a catalyst for the preparation of methyl formate and an alkaline catalyst for dimethyl formamide. Further, it is used as versatile reagents in chemical reactions such as condensation, esterification, alkoxylation and etherification, Claisen condensation, Wolf-Kishner reduction and Stobbe reaction.