Question

What is the tincture of iodine? What is its use?

Answer 1

Tincture of Iodine:

• A $2-3\%$ iodine solution in water-alcohol mixture is commonly called tincture of iodine.
• It is also called ‘Iodine tincture’.
• The alcohol mostly used in its preparation is Ethanol (${\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_5\mathrm{OH}$).

Uses of tincture of Iodine:

• Due to the antimicrobial properties of Iodine, it is used as an antiseptic that can be applied on cuts, wounds, scratches, etc.
• It is also used to disinfect water from viruses and bacteria.
• Wounds can also be cleaned and disinfected by using the tincture of Iodine.