IChO 1977 · Theory problem 1

Salts M2S2Ox of sulphur oxoacids

Compare three salts of a composition \(\ce{M2S2O_x}\) where x are three different small integers and M is an alkali metal. To each of the three salts apply some of the following assertions:

a) The \(\ce{O-O}\) bond is characteristic for the anion.
b) The \(\ce{S-S}\) bond is characteristic for the anion.
c) The \(\ce{S-O-S}\) bond is characteristic for the anion.
d) It is formed by thermal decomposition of hydrogen sulphate.
e) It is formed by anodic oxidation of hydrogen sulphate.
f) It is formed by the reaction of an aqueous solution of sulphite with sulphur.
g) Its aqueous solution dissolves silver bromide.
h) Neutralisation of its aqueous solution with hydroxide \(\ce{MOH}\) yields sulphate \(\ce{M2SO4}\).
i) In aqueous solution, it is able to oxidise Mn(II) salt to permanganate.

Problems:

1.1 Fill in the correct x values in the formulas given in the Table and indicate in the corresponding square by appropriate letters those assertions that may be applied to each of the given salts:

\(\ce{M2S2O_{\square}}\)
\(\ce{M2S2O_{\square}}\)
\(\ce{M2S2O_{\square}}\)

1.2 Write structural formulas of the anions of the above three salts and assign \(\sigma\)-bonds and \(\pi\)-bonds in them.

1.3 Write the chemical equations expressing the processes involved in the assertions under the letters d, e, f, g, h, i.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 1.1
Salt \(x\) Applicable assertions
Thiosulphate, \(\ce{M2S2O3}\) 3 b, f, g
Disulphate (pyrosulphate), \(\ce{M2S2O7}\) 7 c, d, h
Peroxodisulphate, \(\ce{M2S2O8}\) 8 a, e, i

These can occupy the three answer-sheet rows in the order shown; unused assertion boxes remain blank.

  • 1.2

The following SMILES specify conventional Lewis structures of the anions. The unspecified alkali-metal counterions are omitted.

Anion SMILES \(\sigma\)-bonds Formal \(\pi\)-bonds
Thiosulphate, \(\ce{S2O3^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)[S-] 4 2
Disulphate, \(\ce{S2O7^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)OS(=O)(=O)[O-] 8 4
Peroxodisulphate, \(\ce{S2O8^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)OOS(=O)(=O)[O-] 9 4
  • 1.3

d) Thermal condensation: \[ \ce{2MHSO4 ->[\Delta] M2S2O7 + H2O} \]

e) Anodic oxidation: \[ \ce{2HSO4^- -> S2O8^2- + 2H+ + 2e^-} \]

f) Reaction with sulphur: \[ \ce{8M2SO3 + S8 ->[\text{warm aqueous solution}] 8M2S2O3} \]

g) Dissolution by complex formation: \[ \ce{AgBr(s) + 2S2O3^2-(aq) -> [Ag(S2O3)2]^3-(aq) + Br^-(aq)} \]

h) Neutralisation: \[ \ce{M2S2O7 + 2MOH -> 2M2SO4 + H2O} \]

i) Oxidation of manganese(II): \[ \ce{2Mn^2+ + 5S2O8^2- + 8H2O -> 2MnO4^- + 10SO4^2- + 16H+} \]

Solution

1.1 Identification of the salts

Thiosulphate, \(\ce{M2S2O3}\). Adding sulphur to aqueous sulphite introduces a terminal sulphur atom bonded directly to the central sulphur atom. The resulting thiosulphate anion therefore contains an \(\ce{S-S}\) bond and satisfies b and f. It also forms a soluble silver(I) complex, allowing its solution to dissolve silver bromide: g.

Disulphate, \(\ce{M2S2O7}\). Heating two formula units of an alkali-metal hydrogen sulphate eliminates one water molecule. The resulting anion contains two sulphur centres joined through a bridging oxygen atom, giving an \(\ce{S-O-S}\) linkage. Thus c and d apply. In water, disulphate hydrolyses to hydrogen sulphate; neutralisation then produces sulphate, accounting for h.

Peroxodisulphate, \(\ce{M2S2O8}\). This anion contains two sulphate-derived groups connected by an \(\ce{O-O}\) peroxide bond. It is produced by anodic oxidation of hydrogen sulphate, so a and e apply. Its strong oxidising action allows manganese(II) to be converted into permanganate, giving i.

1.2 Structures and bond assignments

A suitable set of conventional Lewis structural formulas is:

\[ \begin{aligned} \text{Thiosulphate:}\qquad& \ce{S^{-}-S(=O)2-O^{-}} \\[4pt] \text{Disulphate:}\qquad& \ce{O^{-}-S(=O)2-O-S(=O)2-O^{-}} \\[4pt] \text{Peroxodisulphate:}\qquad& \ce{O^{-}-S(=O)2-O-O-S(=O)2-O^{-}} \end{aligned} \]

In these formulas, each \(\ce{S(=O)2}\) indicates two separate terminal oxygen atoms, each drawn with a double bond to sulphur. Every single bond is a \(\sigma\)-bond; each double bond contains one \(\sigma\)-bond and one \(\pi\)-bond.

  • Thiosulphate: three \(\ce{S-O}\) connections and one \(\ce{S-S}\) connection give four \(\sigma\)-bonds. The two drawn \(\ce{S=O}\) double bonds supply two \(\pi\)-bonds.
  • Disulphate: each sulphur has four oxygen neighbours, giving eight \(\sigma\)-bonds in total. The bridging oxygen participates in two single \(\ce{S-O}\) bonds. Four terminal \(\ce{S=O}\) double bonds supply four \(\pi\)-bonds.
  • Peroxodisulphate: eight \(\ce{S-O}\) connections and the peroxide \(\ce{O-O}\) connection give nine \(\sigma\)-bonds. Four terminal \(\ce{S=O}\) double bonds supply four \(\pi\)-bonds.

The central sulphur atoms have approximately tetrahedral arrangements of their four neighbours; the written formulas do not imply planar structures. The double bonds and terminal charges are formal Lewis assignments: resonance delocalises bonding and charge over terminal oxygen positions, so the drawings do not imply permanently localised \(\pi\)-bonds.

1.3 Explanation and balancing of the reactions

d) Thermal decomposition of hydrogen sulphate

Two hydrogen sulphate units condense with loss of one water molecule. The remaining oxygen connects the two sulphur centres, producing disulphate:

\[ \ce{2MHSO4 ->[\Delta] M2S2O7 + H2O} \]

e) Anodic oxidation of hydrogen sulphate

Oxidation releases electrons at the anode:

\[ \ce{2HSO4^- -> S2O8^2- + 2H+ + 2e^-} \]

The equation conserves both atoms and charge: each side has net charge \(-2\). Sulphur remains in oxidation state \(+6\); formation of the peroxide bond changes two oxygen atoms from oxidation state \(-2\) to \(-1\).

f) Reaction of sulphite with sulphur

Sulphite incorporates one additional sulphur atom per anion. Writing elemental sulphur as cyclooctasulphur gives the integer-balanced ionic equation:

\[ \ce{8SO3^2- + S8 -> 8S2O3^2-} \]

Cyclooctasulphur has SMILES S1SSSSSSS1; its ring normally adopts a puckered crown conformation, which this SMILES does not specify.

g) Dissolution of silver bromide

Excess thiosulphate binds silver(I), forming bis(thiosulphato)argentate(I), \(\ce{[Ag(S2O3)2]^3-}\).

Its dative-bond SMILES is:

[O-]S(=O)(=O)[S-]->[Ag+]<-[S-]S(=O)(=O)[O-]

The arrows represent donation from the terminal sulphur atoms to silver(I). The conventional two-coordinate depiction has an approximately linear sulphur–silver–sulphur arrangement; the SMILES records connectivity, not this angle.

Complex formation lowers the free silver-ion concentration, shifting the dissolution equilibrium towards dissolved silver:

\[ \ce{AgBr(s) + 2S2O3^2-(aq) -> [Ag(S2O3)2]^3-(aq) + Br^-(aq)} \]

The net charge is \(-4\) on both sides.

h) Neutralisation of aqueous disulphate

Disulphate first hydrolyses:

\[ \ce{S2O7^2- + H2O -> 2HSO4^-} \]

Hydrogen sulphate is then neutralised:

\[ \ce{HSO4^- + OH^- -> SO4^2- + H2O} \]

Adding the first equation to twice the second gives:

\[ \ce{S2O7^2- + 2OH^- -> 2SO4^2- + H2O} \]

Restoring the alkali-metal counterions gives the molecular equation in the Answers.

i) Oxidation of manganese(II) to permanganate

Manganese changes from oxidation state \(+2\) to \(+7\), losing five electrons per manganese atom:

\[ \ce{Mn^2+ + 4H2O -> MnO4^- + 8H+ + 5e^-} \]

Each peroxodisulphate ion accepts two electrons:

\[ \ce{S2O8^2- + 2e^- -> 2SO4^2-} \]

Multiplying the manganese half-reaction by two and the peroxodisulphate half-reaction by five cancels ten electrons:

\[ \ce{2Mn^2+ + 5S2O8^2- + 8H2O -> 2MnO4^- + 10SO4^2- + 16H+} \]

Thus the required molar ratio is five peroxodisulphate ions to two manganese(II) ions. This oxidation is commonly performed in acidic solution with warming and a silver(I) catalyst.

For completeness, the remaining chemical species used in these equations are identified below. The silver bromide SMILES represents its constituent ions, not its crystal lattice.

Species Formula SMILES
Hydrogen sulphate ion \(\ce{HSO4^-}\) OS(=O)(=O)[O-]
Sulphite ion \(\ce{SO3^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)[O-]
Sulphate ion \(\ce{SO4^2-}\) [O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-]
Water \(\ce{H2O}\) O
Hydroxide ion \(\ce{OH^-}\) [OH-]
Hydrogen ion, representing aqueous acidity \(\ce{H+}\) [H+]
Silver bromide \(\ce{AgBr}\) [Ag+].[Br-]
Silver(I) ion \(\ce{Ag+}\) [Ag+]
Bromide ion \(\ce{Br^-}\) [Br-]
Manganese(II) ion \(\ce{Mn^2+}\) [Mn+2]
Permanganate ion \(\ce{MnO4^-}\) [O-][Mn](=O)(=O)=O

The solution was checked against the official solution.