Samarium(III) iodide explained

Samarium(III) iodide is an inorganic compound, a salt of samarium and hydroiodic acid with the chemical formula .^{[1] [2]}

Synthesis

Samarium(III) iodide is prepared by the reaction of metallic samarium and iodine:^[3]

2Sm + 3I2 -> 2SmI3

Properties

Samarium(III) iodide is a yellow powder that is unstable in air and decomposes in water (hydrolysis). When heated with metallic samarium, it forms samarium diiodide:^[4]

2SmI3 + Sm ->[\Delta] 3SmI2

Reduction by hydrogen also affords samarium diiodide:

2SmI3 + H2 ->[\Delta] 2SmI2 + 2HI

Applications

The compound is commercially available and used in organic reactions as a catalyst.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Zhang . Yuanmin . Samarium Triiodide . . 1638–1639 . en . 10.1055/s-0030-1260781 . 6 November 2011. 2011 . 11 . free .
2. Web site: Samarium(III) Iodide . American Elements . . 8 August 2021 . en.
3. Molodkin . A. K. . Karagodina . A. M. . Tupolev . V. S. . Dudareva . A. G. . Prokhina . A. G. . Iodination of samarium and reaction of samarium triiodide with lithium iodide . Zhurnal Neorganicheskoj Khimii . 1984 . 29 . 4 . 1069–1072 . 8 August 2021 . Russian . 0044-457X.
4. Imamoto . Tsuneo . Ono . Mitsumasa . The Reaction of Samarium(III) Iodide with Samarium Metal in Tetrahydrofuran, A New Method for the Preparation of Samarium(II) Iodide . . 5 March 1987 . 16 . 3 . 501–502 . 10.1246/cl.1987.501 . 0366-7022. free .