Carboniodine

Carboniodine is a nonstandard term that may refer to either a diatomic carbon–iodine species (CI) or more generally to any compound containing both carbon and iodine. In the absence of a clear, widely accepted definition, the meaning is determined by context.

The most literal reading is the diatomic molecule CI, suggested in theoretical discussions as a short-lived species formed in high-energy gas-phase processes. If it exists, CI would feature a covalent C–I bond and would be expected to be reactive and not stable under ambient conditions; its spectroscopic detection would rely on high-resolution methods such as mass spectrometry or laser spectroscopy. To date, there is no widely cited, experimentally confirmed ground-state diatomic CI widely accepted as a stable species, though related radicals and transient species are known in combustion and interstellar chemistry.

In a broader sense, "carbon iodide" is sometimes used informally to describe organoiodine compounds that contain carbon–iodine bonds, such as alkyl iodides, aryl iodides, and more complex iodo-organic structures. In these compounds, the C–I bond is typically polar covalent and serves as a functional handle for substitution reactions. Carbon–iodine chemistry plays a key role in organic synthesis, particularly in cross-coupling and transition-metal–catalyzed processes.

Safety and handling: compounds containing iodine are generally handled with standard laboratory precautions; organic iodides can be irritants or toxic, depending on structure.

See also: organoiodine compounds, carbon–halogen bonds, iodine chemistry.