Ammonium iodide is the

inorganic compound An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds⁠that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''. Inorgan ...

with the formula NH₄I. A white solid. It is an

ionic compound In chemistry, a salt or ionic compound is a chemical compound consisting of an assembly of positively charged ions (Cation, cations) and negatively charged ions (Anion, anions), which results in a compound with no net electric charge (electrica ...

, although impure samples appear yellow. This salt consists of ammonium cation and an iodide anion.Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. ''Inorganic Chemistry'' Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. . It can be prepared by the action of hydroiodic acid on

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the chemical formula, formula . A Binary compounds of hydrogen, stable binary hydride and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinctive pu ...

. It is easily soluble in

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

, from which it crystallizes in cubes. It is also soluble in

ethanol Ethanol (also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with its formula also written as , or EtOH, where Et is the ps ...

. Ammonium iodide in aqueous solutions are observed as acidic and display elevated vapor pressures at high temperatures

Preparation

Ammonium iodide can be made in lab by treating ammonia with hydroiodic acid: : NH₃ + HI → NH₄I

Uses

Ammonium iodide is used as dietary supplement to treat

iodine deficiency Iodine deficiency is a lack of the trace element iodine, an essential nutrient in the diet. It may result in metabolic problems such as goiter, sometimes as an endemic goiter as well as congenital iodine deficiency syndrome due to untreated ...

Properties and Reactions

Ammonium iodide has recently been used in many research studies and experiments. Vinyl sulfones have been prepared using ammonium iodide,. Organic reactions are not synthesized with organic solvents due to their increasing detrimental effects on the human body and ecosystem. Many chemists have altered organic reactions to exclude solvents in order to have successful sustainable syntheses. A report was presented on an organic synthesis for the iodination of ketones and aromatic compounds using ammonium iodide and H₂O₂ (hydrogen peroxide). This resulted in the products' high yields, which were gathered more efficiently, in a shorter duration compared to the use of the abrasive compound: molecular iodine

References

{{iodides Iodides Nonmetal halides Ammonium compounds