Iodine as an oxidant in the topotactic deintercalaction of interstitial iron in [Fe.sub.1-x]Te

A simple reaction of [I.sub.2] vapor with both powder and single crystal samples has helped in removing the interstitial iron from the FeTe framework topotactically. The studies have shown that the deintercalation process has consequences for both magnetic and crystallographic phase transitions in the compound at low temperatures.