Diiodomethane is used to determine the density of minerals and other solid samples due to its high density. It is used as an optical contact liquid to determine the refractive index of certain gemstones. In simmons-smith reaction, it acts as a reagent to generate methylene (carbine) free radical. It reacts with olefins to prepare cyclopropanes with high stereo specificity.
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Applications
Diiodomethane is used to determine the density of minerals and other solid samples due to its high density. It is used as an optical contact liquid to determine the refractive index of certain gemstones. In simmons-smith reaction, it acts as a reagent to generate methylene (carbine) free radical. It reacts with olefins to prepare cyclopropanes with high stereo specificity.
Solubility
Miscible with alcohol and ether. Slightly miscible with water.
Notes
Light sensitive. Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Incompatible with alkali metal salts, strong oxidizing agents, strong bases, metals, lithium, potassium, sodium, sodium oxides and alloys.
RUO – Research Use Only
The combination with Zinc-copper couple, L09811, generates ICH2ZnI, the reagent for the classical Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation of alkenes: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 80, 5323 (1958); examples: Org. Synth. Coll., 5, 85 (1973). Review: Org. React., 20, 1 (1973). Alternative systems include Zn powder/ Cu(I) halide: J. Org. Chem., 35, 2057 (1970); ultrasound irradiation: Tetrahedron Lett., 23, 2729 (1982), thermal activation: Synth. Commun., 22, 2801 (1992), or catalytic TMS-Cl: J. Org. Chem., 59, 2671 (1994) with ordinary zinc; or Zn/Ag couple: Tetrahedron Lett., 4593 (1972); 3327 (1974). Other reagents include trialkylaluminums: J. Org. Chem., 50, 4412 (1985): Org. Synth. Coll., 8, 321 (1993) and the most widely-used modification, diethylzinc: Tetrahedron, 24, 53 (1968); J. Org. Chem., 42, 3031 (1977); for use in the ring-expansion of ketones, see: Org. Synth. Coll., 6, 327 (1988). For use of a boronic acid-derived chiral dioxaborolane ligand in enantioselective cyclopropanantion, see: Tetrahedron Lett., 37, 7925 (1996); Org. Synth., 76, 86 (1998):
Selective ortho-methylation of phenols can be brought about by a one-pot method utilizing Et2Zn/ CH2I2 modification: Tetrahedron Lett., 30, 5215 (1989).
Allylic bromides are converted to homoallylic iodides by the Simmons-Smith reagent in the presence of CuI.2LiI in THF: J. Org. Chem., 54, 5202 (1989).
Wolcott, C. A.; Green, I. X.; Silbaugh, T. L.; Xu, Y.; Campbell, C. T. Energetics of Adsorbed CH2 and CH on Pt(111) by Calorimetry: The Dissociative Adsorption of Diiodomethane. J. Phys. Chem. C 2014, 118 (50), 29310-29321.
Wang, Y.; Sang, D. K.; Du, Z.; Zhang, C.; Tian, M.; Mi, J. Interfacial Structures, Surface Tensions, and Contact Angles of Diiodomethane on Fluorinated Polymers. J. Phys. Chem. C 2014, 118 (19), 10143-10152.