Organic compounds that possess at least one carbon-iodine bond are known as organoiodine compounds. While these compounds are prevalent in organic chemistry, they are comparatively uncommon in the natural world.

The carbon-halogen bonds exhibit varying strengths, with the C-I bond being the least strong. This trend in bond strength aligns with the halogens’ electronegativity, with bond strength decreasing in the order F > Cl > Br > I.

Of the halides, iodide usually is the best leaving group. Because of the weakness of the C–I bond, samples of organoiodine compounds are often yellow due to an impurity of I-.

The preparation of organoiodine compounds can vary depending on the desired degree and regiochemistry of iodination, as well as the characteristics of the precursor materials. When working with unsaturated substrates, direct iodination with I2 is a commonly used method among numerous routes available.

The high atomic weight of iodine results in the notable characteristic of organoiodine compounds – their high density.