Samarium(II) iodide (SmI2, also known as "Kagan's reagent") is a green solid composed of samarium and iodine, with a melting point of 520 °C where the samarium atom has a coordination number of seven in a capped octahedral configuration. It can be formed by high temperature decomposition of samarium(III) iodide (SmI3), the more stable iodide. A convenient lab preparation is to react Sm powder with diiodoethane (ICH2CH2I) in anhydrous THF, or diiodomethane (CH2I2) may also be used. Samarium(II) iodide is a powerful reducing agent – for example it rapidly reduces water to hydrogen. It is available commercially as a dark blue 0.1 M solution in THF.