Editing Cocaine (section)

=== Forms ===
{{For|the freebase form|Crack cocaine#Chemistry}}

==== Salts ====
[[File:CocaineHydrochloridePowder cropped.jpg|right|thumb|A pile of [[micronization|micronized]] cocaine hydrochloride]]
[[File:CocaineHCl.jpg|right|thumb|A piece of compressed cocaine hydrochloride]]

Cocaine in its purest form is a white, pearly product. Cocaine — a [[tropane alkaloid]] — is a weakly alkaline compound, and can therefore combine with acidic compounds to form salts. The [[hydrochloride]] (HCl) salt of cocaine is by far the most commonly encountered, although the [[sulfate]] (SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2−</sup>) and the [[nitrate]] (NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup>) salts are occasionally seen. Different salts dissolve to a greater or lesser extent in various solvents — the hydrochloride salt is polar in character and is quite soluble in water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/cocaine/cocaineh.htm|website=duke.edu|title=Content Background: Chemical Characteristics of Cocaine|access-date=4 May 2020|archive-date=8 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708191819/https://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/cocaine/cocaineh.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>