Hypoiodous acid is an

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

chemical formula A chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, such as pare ...

. It forms when an

aqueous solution An aqueous solution is a solution in which the solvent is water. It is mostly shown in chemical equations by appending (aq) to the relevant chemical formula. For example, a solution of table salt, also known as sodium chloride (NaCl), in water ...

iodine Iodine is a chemical element; it has symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists at standard conditions as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

is treated with mercuric or

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

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

. It rapidly decomposes by

disproportionation In chemistry, disproportionation, sometimes called dismutation, is a redox reaction in which one compound of intermediate oxidation state converts to two compounds, one of higher and one of lower oxidation state. The reverse of disproportionatio ...

: : Hypoiodous acid is a

weak acid Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbolised by the chemical formula , to dissociate into a proton, , and an anion, . The dissociation or ionization of a strong acid in solution is effectively complete, except in its most concentrated s ...

with a p''K''_a of about 11. The

conjugate base A conjugate acid, within the Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, is a chemical compound formed when an acid gives a proton () to a base—in other words, it is a base with a hydrogen ion added to it, as it loses a hydrogen ion in the reve ...

is hypoiodite (). Salts of this

anion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conven ...

can be prepared by treating iodine with

alkali hydroxide The alkali hydroxides are a class of chemical compounds which are composed of an alkali metal cation and the hydroxide anion (). The alkali hydroxides are: *Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) *Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) *Potassium hydroxide (KOH) * Rubidium hyd ...

s. They rapidly disproportionate to form

iodide An iodide ion is I−. Compounds with iodine in formal oxidation state −1 are called iodides. In everyday life, iodide is most commonly encountered as a component of iodized salt, which many governments mandate. Worldwide, iodine deficiency ...

s and

iodate An iodate is the polyatomic anion with the formula . It is the most common form of iodine in nature, as it comprises the major iodine-containing ores. Iodate salts are often colorless. They are the salts of iodic acid. Structure Iodate is pyra ...

s, but an iodine–hydroxide mixture can be used an

in situ is a Latin phrase meaning 'in place' or 'on site', derived from ' ('in') and ' ( ablative of ''situs'', ). The term typically refers to the examination or occurrence of a process within its original context, without relocation. The term is use ...

preparation of hypoiodite for other reactions. Ammonium hypoiodites can be formed by oxidation of the analogous

salts. These and also sodium hypoiodite are useful as

oxidizing agent An oxidizing agent (also known as an oxidant, oxidizer, electron recipient, or electron acceptor) is a substance in a redox chemical reaction that gains or " accepts"/"receives" an electron from a (called the , , or ''electron donor''). In ot ...

s for a various types of

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

s and also for a reaction analogous to the haloform reaction. Hypoiodite is one of the active oxidizing agents generated by

lactoperoxidase Lactoperoxidase (LPO, ) is a peroxidase enzyme secreted from mammary, salivary, tears and other mucosal glands including the lungs, bronchii and nose that function as a natural, first line of defense against bacteria and viral agents. Lactoperox ...

as part of the mammalian

innate immune system The innate immune system or nonspecific immune system is one of the two main immunity strategies in vertebrates (the other being the adaptive immune system). The innate immune system is an alternate defense strategy and is the dominant immune s ...

Other oxyacids

Hypoiodous acid is part of a series of

oxyacid An oxyacid, oxoacid, or ternary acid is an acid that contains oxygen. Specifically, it is a compound that contains hydrogen, oxygen, and at least one other element, with at least one hydrogen atom bonded to oxygen that can dissociate to produce ...

s in which iodine can assume

oxidation state In chemistry, the oxidation state, or oxidation number, is the hypothetical Electrical charge, charge of an atom if all of its Chemical bond, bonds to other atoms are fully Ionic bond, ionic. It describes the degree of oxidation (loss of electrons ...

s of −1, +1, +3, +5, or +7. A number of neutral

iodine oxide Iodine oxides are chemical compounds of oxygen and iodine. Iodine has only two stable oxides which are isolatable in bulk, iodine tetroxide and iodine pentoxide, but a number of other oxides are formed in trace quantities or have been hypothesize ...

s are also known.

References

Hypoiodites Oxidizing acids Triatomic molecules Halogen oxoacids {{Inorganic-compound-stub