Clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic sharp, penetrating odor. On exposure to light, 1-
iodopropane may become pale yellow.
1-Iodopropane is used in wide range of medicals industrial applications as well as in human and animal nutrition products, pharmaceutical intermediates, polarizing films for Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) chemicals. Iodine derivatives are also used as organic building blocks, analytical reagents etc. It is also used as a solvent and intermediate of organic synthesis.
Biological. A strain of Acinetobacter sp. isolated from activated sludge degraded 1-iodopropane
to 1-propanol and iodide ions (Janssen et al., 1987).
Chemical/Physical. Slowly hydrolyzes in water forming 1-propanol and hydroiodic acid.
It should be distilled first under reduced pressure to avoid decomposition. Dry the iodide with MgSO4 or silica gel and fractionally distil it. Store it under nitrogen with mercury in a brown bottle. Prior to distillation, free iodine can be removed by shaking with copper powder or by washing with aqueous Na2S2O3 and drying. Alternatively, the n-propyl iodide can be treated with bromine, then washed with aqueous Na2S2O3, dried and distilled. See also n-butyl iodide. [Beilstein 1 IV 222.]
