Polyhalide
Polyhalide
a chemical compound of metal halides and halogens. Polyhalides containing bromine (polybromides) and iodine (polyiodides) are known—for example, potassium triio-dide, KI3; cesium pentabromide, CsBr5; and potassium enneaiodide, KI9. Polybromides and polyiodides dissociate into ions in aqueous solutions. For example, KI3 yields the ions K+ and [I3]–. Potassium polyiodide solutions, which contain KI3 and KI5, are of the greatest importance. They are produced by adding a calculated amount of iodine to an aqueous KI solution and are used whenever a concentrated iodine solution is required (the intrinsic solubility of iodine in water is negligible). In addition to polyhalides that contain only one type of halogen, polyhalides composed of various halogens may be produced (for example, K[IF6]).