[2] Another synthesis route involves combining phosphonium iodide with iodine in a solution of carbon disulfide.

An advantage of this route is that the resulting product is virtually free of impurities.

[1] It reacts with elemental phosphorus and water to make phosphonium iodide, which is collected via sublimation at 80 °C.

[5] It is used for deprotecting acetals and ketals to aldehydes and ketones, and for converting epoxides into alkenes and aldoximes into nitriles.

[7] As foreshadowed by the work of Bertholet in 1855, diphosphorus tetraiodide can convert glycols to trans alkenes.