Industrial grade，99% Cuprous iodide CAS 7681-65-4

What is cuprous iodide? What are the uses of all grades?

I. What is Cuprous iodide?

Cuprous iodide, also known as copper monoiodide, copper iodide (I), or Copper(I) iodide, CuI, is an inorganic compound composed of monovalent copper ions and iodide ions. It is one of the most important copper catalysts in organic synthesis. Its chemical formula is usually written as:

CuI (CAS No.: 7681-65-4, EINECS No.: 231-674-6, molecular weight approximately 190.45)

It is a white to grayish-white powder at room temperature, which decomposes easily in light and turns brown (photosensitive). It is insoluble in water but soluble in ammonia, potassium iodide solution, and concentrated hydrochloric acid. Its relative density is about 5.62, and its melting point is about 605℃. Industrially, it is prepared by the direct combination of copper and iodine, the reaction of iodide ions with cuprous chloride, or by the reduction of copper sulfate with iodides.

Structurally, the monovalent copper ion (Cu+) in cuprous iodide has unique coordination chemistry properties, and can form complexes with a variety of ligands (such as 1,10-phenanthroline and diamines). It can serve as a catalyst core for organic coupling reactions and also has p-type semiconductor characteristics, making it a dual-identity material of "catalyst + semiconductor".

Chemically, cuprous iodide is stable and insoluble in water, but it may slowly oxidize and discolor upon exposure to light or prolonged exposure to air. It has low solubility in organic solvents and is often used in powder form or dissolved in reaction systems in combination with ligands. It should be stored in a sealed, light-proof, and moisture-proof container.

This product is categorized by application area, commonly including: industrial grade (for organic synthesis catalysis, feed additives, and general applications, with a common purity of 98%), catalytic grade (for fine chemical synthesis, with a purity of 99% or higher), feed and food grade (for nutritional fortification, with extremely strict heavy metal control), reagent grade (for laboratory analysis), and high-purity/electronic grade (for semiconductor optoelectronic materials). Different grades have different requirements for purity, metal impurities, and particle size control, with particular emphasis on the following indicators:

1. Iron and metallic impurity content

Metal impurities such as iron can affect catalytic performance, color, and application effects. High-purity/electronic grade catalytic impurities must be controlled at extremely low levels (below ppm).

2. Moisture

Moisture content affects product storage stability and the reaction system, and must be strictly controlled.

3. Water-insoluble and acid-insoluble substances

Insoluble matter reflects the total amount of impurities and is crucial for high-purity catalytic applications; it must be controlled within an extremely low range.

4. Appearance and color

The product must be a white to off-white powder. The color reflects the purity and batch stability, and the degree of color change upon exposure to light is a quality reference.

5. granularity

Particle size affects dissolution rate and catalytic dispersibility. Different applications have different particle size requirements, and batch consistency must be maintained.

6. Heavy metal content

Feed-grade and food-grade products must keep heavy metals (such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium) within regulatory limits to ensure food safety.

II. What are the uses of Cuprous iodide?

Cuprous iodide, with its unique properties of "monovalent copper coordination chemistry + semiconductor characteristics," has extremely wide applications across fields such as organic synthesis, nutrient fortification, optoelectronic materials, and laboratory settings.

1. Coupling catalysts for organic synthesis (core application in catalytic grade)

( 1 ) Cuprous iodide is an important copper catalyst for classic coupling reactions such as Ullmann coupling, Sonogashira coupling, and Stille coupling (used in combination with cesium fluoride). Its catalytic performance is significantly improved after coordination with ligands such as 1,10-phenanthroline. It is widely used in the construction of CC, CN, and CO bonds and is one of the core catalysts for fine chemical synthesis.

( 2 ) Cuprous iodide is used as an organic synthesis catalyst to help construct key molecular structures of pesticides and fine chemicals. It may be indirectly involved in the production chain of pesticides used in agricultural products .

( 3 ) Cuprous iodide is used as a highly efficient catalyst for the N-arylation reaction of amines and amino acids, helping to construct aromatic amine structural units, and is widely used in the synthesis of dyes and functional materials. ( Belongs to the CN coupling sub-application )

2. Click on the chemical catalyst (CuAAC, catalytic grade).

Cuprous iodide is a classic copper catalyst for azide-alkyne cycloaddition (click chemistry), which helps to efficiently construct 1,2,3-triazole structures and is widely used in bioconjugation and polymer materials.

3. Iodine source for iodized salt (core application in food grade)

Food-grade cuprous iodide can be used as a source of iodine and a nutritional fortifier in iodized salt. It is one of the optional iodine sources for salt iodization and food nutritional fortification. However, it must strictly meet hygiene standards such as heavy metals.

4. Animal feed additives (core application in feed grade)

Feed-grade cuprous iodide is used as an iodine and copper source additive in animal feed to help livestock and poultry supplement essential trace elements and promote growth and development. It is a trace element raw material in the feed industry and must meet feed hygiene standards.

5. Semiconductor and optoelectronic materials (core electronic applications)

High-purity cuprous iodide is a p-type transparent conductive semiconductor material used in the research and fabrication of solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting devices, and transparent electronic devices. It is also a hot material in the emerging field of optoelectronic materials.

6. Polymer heat stabilizer (industrial grade)

Cuprous iodide is used as a heat stabilizer and antioxidant for engineering plastics and specialty synthetic rubbers, delaying the high-temperature aging and degradation of polymer materials.

7. Raw materials for marine antifouling coatings (industrial grade)

Cuprous iodide can be used to prepare copper-based antibacterial complexes, which can be used as raw materials for antifouling agents against marine organisms and applied in marine antifouling coating systems.

8. Organic halide dehalogenation reaction reagent (industrial grade)

Cuprous iodide is used in the dehalogenation reduction process of halogenated organic compounds for the purification of fine intermediates and the treatment of organic pollutants.

9. Solid-state lithium battery electrolyte precursor materials (electronic industry grade)

Cuprous iodide is used to synthesize copper-iodine-based solid ionic conductors, serving as a precursor material for the preparation of solid electrolytes in solid-state lithium batteries.

10. Artificial Weather Modification Composite Ice Core Additive (Industrial Grade)

Cuprous iodide can be used as a composite ice-forming aid, combined with silver iodide to prepare composite artificial rainmaking agents, which helps to improve the efficiency of ice nucleus formation. It is mostly used in formulation research experiments and is not used as an independent artificial rainmaking agent.

11. Analytical Reagents (Core Reagent-Grade Applications)

Analytical grade cuprous iodide is used as a laboratory analytical reagent for the analysis and detection of iodide ions, copper ions, and other related substances, as well as for the preparation of standards, serving quality control and scientific research testing.

12. Other Applications

It can be used as anode ray tube covering material, resin modifier, and electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction catalyst; with the development of catalytic chemistry and optoelectronic materials, the application range of cuprous iodide continues to expand.

It should be noted that all grades and specifications do not equate to "risk-free": Cuprous iodide contains copper, and long-term excessive intake of copper is harmful to health. Feed and nutritional uses must strictly comply with regulatory limits; avoid dust inhalation and skin contact during handling; it is prone to discoloration when exposed to light and must be stored away from light; raw materials of any grade of product are strictly prohibited from being consumed directly, and copper-containing waste liquid must be disposed of in accordance with regulations.

Summarize

Cuprous iodide (CuI, CAS No. 7681-65-4, EINECS No. 231-674-6) is a white to off-white powder, insoluble in water and easily decomposes and changes color upon exposure to light. Leveraging the unique coordination chemistry and p-type semiconductor properties of monovalent copper, it is used in fields such as nutritional fortification, optoelectronic materials, and laboratory applications. In daily life, we encounter it through iodized salt, animal products, pesticides, and optoelectronic products. In applications, cuprous iodide is widely used in organic synthesis coupling catalysts (Ullmann, Sonogashira, Stille coupling and click chemistry), amine N-arylation catalysts, iodine sources in iodized salt, animal feed additives, semiconductor optoelectronic materials, analytical reagents, and other special applications. It is a versatile copper compound that bridges the gap between "monovalent copper chemistry" and "nutritional fortification and optoelectronic materials."