Germanium(II) iodide

Chemical properties

Germanium(II) iodide is a yellow to gold flake or powder. It can dissolve in cold water, concentrated hydriodic acid, and dilute acid. It has limited solubility in chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, while it does not dissolve in carbon disulfide. It decomposes in hot water and reacts with an ammonia solution to form imine germanium. Under vacuum, it sublimates at 240°C. It remains stable in dry air but undergoes hydrolysis in moist air.

The Uses of Germanium(II) iodide

Germanium(II) iodide acts as a reagent that forms stable ionic adducts with carbenes. It is also used in the preparation of allylgermanes by reacting with allylstannanes. Further, it reacts with allyl bromide in the presence of zinc iodide to get allylgermanium(IV), which on reacts with carbonyl compounds to give the corresponding homoallylic alcohols.

What are the applications of Application

Germanium(II) iodide is a reagent which forms stable ionic adducts with carbenes

Preparation

From a germanium sulfide powder by adding excess 57% concentrated hydriodic acid, under stirring at 100 ℃ for the reaction, filtered while hot, the filtrate is slowly cooled system. It can also be made by adding germanium tetraiodide to distilled water and 57% concentrated hydriodic acid with stirring, adding 50% hypophosphite, boiling under reflux, crystallizing after reaction, washing with dilute hydriodic acid and drying.