Hydroxide
Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water. It functions as a base, a ligand, a nucleophile, and a catalyst. The hydroxide ion forms salts, some of which dissociate in aqueous solution, liberating solvated hydroxide ions. Sodium hydroxide is a multi-million-ton per annum commodity chemical. A hydroxide attached to a strongly electropositive center may itself ionize, liberating a hydrogen cation (H), making the parent compound an acid.
Cobalt(II) chloride
On crystallization from water, the compound forms several hydrates ·"n", for "n" = 1, 2, 6, and 9. Claims of the formation of tri- and tetrahydrates have not been confirmed. The dihydrate is purple and hexahydrate is pink. It is usually supplied as the hexahydrate CoCl·6HO, which is one of the most commonly used cobalt compounds in the lab.
Because of the ease of the hydration/dehydration reaction, and the resulting color change, cobalt chloride is used as an indicator for water in desiccants.