Sodium iodide
Sodium iodide (chemical formula NaI) is the salt of sodium and iodide. It is a white, crystalline solid that is used mainly as a nutritional supplement and in organic chemistry. It is produced industrially by acidic iodides and sodium hydroxide.
Uses
Food supplement
Sodium iodide, as well as potassium iodide, is commonly used to treat and prevent iodine deficiency. Iodized table salt contains one part sodium or potassium iodide to 100,000 parts of sodium chloride.
Organic synthesis
Sodium iodide is used for conversion of an alkyl chlorides into an alkyl iodides. This method, the Finkelstein reaction, relies on the insolubility of sodium chloride in acetone to drive the reaction:
Nuclear medicine
Some radioactive iodide salts of sodium, including [125I]NaI and [131I]NaI, have radiopharmaceutical uses, such as in the treatment of thyroid cancer and hyperthyroidism or as radiolabeling tracers in imaging (see Isotopes of iodine > Radioiodines I-123, I-124, I-125, and I-131 in medicine and biology).
