Home > Community > How does the oxidation of NaI by sodium hypochlorite to give I+ work?
Upvote

23

Downvote
+ Redox
Posted by
Lance Chambers

How does the oxidation of NaI by sodium hypochlorite to give I+ work?

Daryl Larsen  Follow

I think the reaction should be done in basic solution, not acidic solution. "One equivalent each of sodium iodide (2.77 g) and sodium hydroxide (0.74 g) was added, and the solution was cooled to 0 C. Aqueous sodium hypochlorite (34.50 g, 4.0% NaOCl) wasadded dropwise over 75 min at 0-3 C" J. Org. Chem. 1990,55, 5287-5291.

So perhaps:

$$\ce{ ClO- (aq) + I- (aq) + H2O (l) -> I+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) + 2OH- (aq)}$$


Edit: after looking at the cited article more closely, the hydroxide was only being added because of the acidity of the iodophenol product, so you could write

$$\ce{ ClO- (aq) + I- (aq) + 2H+(aq) -> I+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) + H2O (l)}$$

also.

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Ian Yates  Follow
Youd think the active species was iodine monochloride. I+ on its own looks improbable, its too Lewis-acidic to survive on its own, especially in water.More
Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Douglas Sucy  Follow
@AbelFriedman In section 16.2.10 of Inorganic Chemistry by Gopalan, it says $\ce{I+}$ can stablized by solvent molecules and there are species such as $\ce{I_2+}$, $\ce{I_3+}$, etc.More
Upvote

VOTE

Downvote