Yttrium iodide is a binary
inorganic compound
In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...
, a salt of
yttrium and
hydroiodic acid with the formula . The compound forms colorless crystals, soluble in water.
Synthesis
1. Heating yttrium and iodine in an inert atmosphere:
::
2Y + 3I2 -> 2YI3
2. Heating
yttrium oxide with
ammonium iodide:
::
Y2O3 + 6NH4I -> 2YI3 + 6NH3 + 3H2O
It can also be obtained by reacting yttrium oxide or yttrium hydroxide with hydroiodic acid.
Physical properties
Yttrium iodide forms colorless flaky crystals. The crystal structure is that of the structure type.
It dissolves well in water and
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
. Does not dissolve in
diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable liq ...
.
It also occurs as a tri- and hexahydrate.
Applications
A precursor for
YBCO
Yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) is a family of crystalline chemical compounds that display high-temperature superconductivity; it includes the first material ever discovered to become superconducting above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen ...
superconducting materials in a lower temperature preparation.
References
{{Yttrium compounds
Yttrium compounds
Iodides