Department
Department of Chemistry
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-26-2026
Abstract
A simple reaction sequence has been developed to produce iodine chloride-pyridine (PyICl) and pyridinium dichloroiodate (PyHICl2), convenient iodinating agents, in a high yield. Our approach is safe and simple to handle, avoiding the use of elemental chlorine or hazardous manipulations. Designed for an upper-level undergraduate hybrid lecture/lab chemistry course, the experiment integrates key concepts from both inorganic and organic chemistry. The pre-experiment lecture explains the connections between molecular structure, reactivity trends, and reaction types. Over three 4 h lab sessions, students carry out a sequence of quantitative transformations and characterize each intermediate and the final product using ESI mass spectrometry, as well as 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. They also apply the PyICl adduct for electrophilic iodination of salicylic acid. This experiment reinforces theoretical knowledge while providing hands-on experience in inorganic and organic synthesis and instrumental analysis. This material, along with its educational value, can also be useful to practical benchtop chemists working in the research and development sector.
Recommended Citation
Kolesnichenko, V. L., & Goloverda, G. Z. (2026). An undergraduate chemistry experiment integrating theoretical and practical aspects of hypervalent iodine(I) compounds. Journal of Chemical Education, 103(3), 1546–1551. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5c01160
Included in
Analytical Chemistry Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Inorganic Chemistry Commons, Organic Chemistry Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons
Comments
This publication is licensed under
CC-BY 4.0