Zinc iodide is a Hygroscopic, white, crystalline powder with a sharp saline taste. It gradually turns brown in the air due to the release of iodine. Its melting point is 446°C, boiling point is about 624°C (decomposes), and relative density is 4.736 (25°C). It is easily soluble in water, ethanol, ether, ammonia water, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium carbonate solutions. Its aqueous solution is acidic to litmus, with a pH of about 5.
Medicine (topical antiseptic), analytical
reagent.
Zinc Iodide is used in the morphological study of dendritic cells in human cervix by zinc iodide osmium method. It is also used in conjunction with osmium tetroxide as a stain in electron microscopy.
Zinc iodide is prepared by the interaction of zinc sulfate solution and barium iodide solution, filtering out the barium sulfate precipitate and evaporating the filtrate to make it crystallize or by directly combining zinc and iodine.
Heat the iodide to 300o under vacuum (2 x 10-2mm) for 1hour, then sublime it. Its solubility in H2O is 0.3mL/g, and it is soluble in EtOH. Store it in the dark.
