Carbon Tetraiodide

Carbon tetraiodide is CI4, a tetrahalomethane. Being bright red, it is a relatively rare example of a highly colored methane derivative. It is only 2% by weight carbon, although other methane derivatives are known with still less carbon.

The tetrahedral molecule features C-I distances of 2.12 ± 0.02 Å. The molecule is slightly crowded with short I---I contacts of 3.459 ± 0.03 Å, and possibly for this reason, it is thermally and photochemically unstable. Hexaiodoethane is unknown, probably for the same reason.

Carbon tetraiodide crystallizes in monoclinic crystal structure (a 22.39, b 12.93, c 25.85 (.10−1 nm), β 125.26°).

It has dipole moment of 0 Debyes due to its symmetrically substituted tetrahedral molecule.

Read more about Carbon Tetraiodide:  Properties, Synthesis, Uses, Safety Considerations