Germanium iodides are inorganic compound with the formula GeIx. Two such compounds exist: germanium(II) iodide, GeI2, and germanium(IV) iodide GeI4.
Germanium(II) iodide is an orange-yellow crystalline solid which decomposes on melting. Its specific density is 5.37 and it can be sublimed at 240 °C in a vacuum. It can be prepared by reducing germanium(IV) iodide with aqueous hypophosphorous acid in the presence of hydroiodic acid. It is oxidised by a solution of potassium iodide in hydrochloric acid to germanium(IV) iodide. It reacts with acetylene at 140 °C to form an analogue of cyclohexa-1,4-diene in which the methylene groups, CH2, are replaced with diiodogermylene groups, GeI2.
Germanium(IV) iodide is an orange-red crystalline solid with melting point 144 °C and boiling point 440 °C (with decomposition). Its specific density is 4.32. It is soluble in non-polar solvents like carbon disulfide, chloroform or benzene, but hydrolyses readily.
Mixed anion compound germanide iodides are also known.
References
Lide, D. R., ed. (2005). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (86th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0486-5. 0-8493-0486-5 ↩
Schenk, P.W. (1963). "12. Silicon and Germanium". In Brauer, Georg (ed.). Handbook of preparative inorganic chemistry (Second ed.). Academic Press. p. 719-720. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-395590-6.50020-X. ISBN 978-0-12-395590-6. 978-0-12-395590-6 ↩
Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 376–377. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8. 978-0-08-037941-8 ↩
Schenk, P.W. (1963). "12. Silicon and Germanium". In Brauer, Georg (ed.). Handbook of preparative inorganic chemistry (Second ed.). Academic Press. p. 719-720. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-395590-6.50020-X. ISBN 978-0-12-395590-6. 978-0-12-395590-6 ↩
Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 376–377. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8. 978-0-08-037941-8 ↩