ammonium bicarbonate

Ammonium bicarbonate is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4HCO3. It is a white crystalline solid that decomposes to ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water upon heating. Ammonium bicarbonate is widely used as a leavening agent in the food industry (E 503(ii)), as well as in pharmaceuticals and laboratory applications[1][3][8]. In medicine, it has been used historically as a component of smelling salts due to its ability to release ammonia gas when exposed to moisture or heat[2]. As a pesticide active ingredient, it acts primarily as an attractant for certain insects by releasing ammonia vapor; this stimulates feeding behavior in pests such as the olive fly[5]. Its mechanism of action in this context is not pharmacological but rather behavioral modification via olfactory cues.

Other names

ammonium bicarbonateammonium hydrogen carbonatecarbonic acid monoammonium saltmonoammonium carbonateammonium acid carbonate