Bismuth(III) iodide

Bismuth triiodide

Dark gray powder with a slightly sour smell

Fixed

5.78 g · cm -3

408 ° C

About 500 ° C.

• Insoluble in water
• Readily soluble in ethanol ( 500 g / l)
• Slightly soluble in benzene and toluene

Risk

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Bismuth (III) iodide, is a salt of bismuth with hydroiodic acid. It has the empirical formula BiI3. Bismuth is in this case present in the oxidation state 3.

Representation

Bismuth ( III ) iodide can be synthesized directly from the elements. To this end, finely divided bismuth and iodine are heated together.

It can also be precipitated from a solution of bismuth ( III ) chloride in hydrochloric acid with concentrated hydriodic acid.

Properties

It is a gray to black solid which melts at 408 ° C. Sublimed or recrystallized, it is black - bold shiny, graphite-like leaves. Bismuth ( III ) iodide crystallized in the hexagonal crystal system.

Use

As bismuth (III) iodide, is insoluble in water, it can be used for the detection of bismuth. Of Bi (III) - containing solutions, precipitates on addition of a water soluble iodide salt (e.g., potassium iodide), gray bismuth ( III ) iodide, thus indicating the presence of bismuth on. The precipitate dissolves upon addition of the iodide salt to form an orange -colored Tetraiodobismutat complex ( [ BiI4 ] - ) again.