IChO 1985 · Theory problem 2

Dioxygen species O2+, O2- and O2(2-): bond orders, distances and energies

It is possible to prepare compounds containing ions \(\ce{O2^-}\), \(\ce{O2^{2-}}\) or even \(\ce{O2^+}\). These ions are usually formed from molecules of oxygen during various reactions, as indicated in the scheme below:

Figure 1

2.1 Indicate clearly which of the above reactions correspond to the oxidation and which to the reduction of the oxygen molecule.

2.2 For each of the ions in the scheme give the formula of a compound containing that particular ion.

2.3 It has been found that one of the species in the scheme is diamagnetic. Which one is it?

2.4 Copy out the following table:

Species Bond order Interatomic distance Bonding energy
\(\ce{O2}\)
\(\ce{O2^+}\)
\(\ce{O2^-}\)
\(\ce{O2^{2-}}\)

The interatomic distances, \(\ce{O-O}\), in the above species have the values 112, 121, 132 and about 149 pm. Write these values in the appropriate column in the table.

\(1\ \mathrm{pm}=10^{-12}\ \mathrm{m}\).

2.5 Three of the bond energies, \(E_{\ce{O-O}}\), have the values approximately 200, 490 and 625 kJ mol\(^{-1}\). The value for one of the species is uncertain and, therefore, not given. Write the values in the appropriate spaces in the table.

2.6 Determine the bond order for the individual species and write the answers in the table.

2.7 Is it possible to prepare compounds containing the \(\ce{F2^{2-}}\) ion? Give reasons for your answer.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 2.1 Oxidation: \(\ce{O2 -> O2^+ + e^-}\). Reduction: \(\ce{O2 + e^- -> O2^-}\) and \(\ce{O2 + 2e^- -> O2^{2-}}\).
  • 2.2 Suitable compounds are potassium superoxide, \(\ce{KO2}\); sodium peroxide, \(\ce{Na2O2}\); and dioxygenyl hexafluoroplatinate(V), \(\ce{O2PtF6}\). Their SMILES are given in the solution.
  • 2.3 The peroxide ion, \(\ce{O2^{2-}}\), is diamagnetic.
  • 2.4 Distances: \(\ce{O2}\), \(121\ \mathrm{pm}\); \(\ce{O2^+}\), \(112\ \mathrm{pm}\); \(\ce{O2^-}\), \(132\ \mathrm{pm}\); \(\ce{O2^{2-}}\), approximately \(149\ \mathrm{pm}\).
  • 2.5 Using the peroxide single-bond assignment discussed below: \(\ce{O2}\), approximately \(490\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\); \(\ce{O2^+}\), approximately \(625\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\); \(\ce{O2^{2-}}\), approximately \(200\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\). The superoxide value is left unspecified.
  • 2.6 Bond orders: \(\ce{O2}\), \(2\); \(\ce{O2^+}\), \(2.5\); \(\ce{O2^-}\), \(1.5\); \(\ce{O2^{2-}}\), \(1\).
  • 2.7 No stable, discrete bonded \(\ce{F2^{2-}}\) ion is predicted: its bond order is zero. Reduction gives two separate fluoride ions.

Solution

2.1 — Oxidation and reduction

The oxygen species have the following names and formal SMILES representations:

Species Name SMILES
\(\ce{O2}\) Dioxygen O=O
\(\ce{O2^+}\) Dioxygenyl ion [O+]=O
\(\ce{O2^-}\) Superoxide ion [O-][O]
\(\ce{O2^{2-}}\) Peroxide ion [O-][O-]

These SMILES specify formal connectivity and charge. They do not express fractional molecular orbital bond orders or the distribution of electrons between molecular orbitals. In particular, O=O does not specify dioxygen’s triplet ground state.

Oxidation is electron loss, so formation of the dioxygenyl ion is oxidation:

\[ \boxed{\ce{O2 -> O2^+ + e^-}} \]

Reduction is electron gain. Formation of either negative ion is therefore reduction:

\[ \boxed{\ce{O2 + e^- -> O2^-}} \]

\[ \boxed{\ce{O2 + 2e^- -> O2^{2-}}} \]

Each equation conserves both oxygen atoms and total charge.

2.2 — Compounds containing the ions

One example for each ion is:

Ion Compound formula Compound name SMILES
\(\ce{O2^-}\) \(\ce{KO2}\) Potassium superoxide [K+].[O-][O]
\(\ce{O2^{2-}}\) \(\ce{Na2O2}\) Sodium peroxide [Na+].[Na+].[O-][O-]
\(\ce{O2^+}\) \(\ce{O2PtF6}\) Dioxygenyl hexafluoroplatinate(V) [O+]=O.F[Pt-](F)(F)(F)(F)F

The charge balances are respectively \(+1-1=0\), \(2(+1)-2=0\), and \(+1-1=0\).

In the last compound, the counterion is hexafluoroplatinate(V), \(\ce{[PtF6]^-}\), represented by F[Pt-](F)(F)(F)(F)F. Its six fluorine ligands have octahedral coordination around platinum. The SMILES does not specify this geometry or the crystal lattice; the formal charge on platinum in this covalent SMILES representation is not its oxidation state.

2.3 — Diamagnetism

All four oxygen species have filled lower molecular orbitals. Their magnetic differences arise from the two degenerate antibonding \(\pi_{2p}^{*}\) orbitals.

Neutral dioxygen has two electrons in these orbitals. By Hund’s rule, they occupy different orbitals with parallel spins. Removing one electron gives the dioxygenyl ion; adding one or two gives superoxide or peroxide:

Species Occupation of the two \(\pi^{*}\) orbitals Unpaired electrons Magnetic character
\(\ce{O2}\) \((\uparrow)(\uparrow)\) 2 Paramagnetic
\(\ce{O2^+}\) \((\uparrow)(\text{empty})\) 1 Paramagnetic
\(\ce{O2^-}\) \((\uparrow\downarrow)(\uparrow)\) 1 Paramagnetic
\(\ce{O2^{2-}}\) \((\uparrow\downarrow)(\uparrow\downarrow)\) 0 Diamagnetic

Thus only the peroxide ion has every electron paired:

\[ \boxed{\ce{O2^{2-}}\text{ is diamagnetic}.} \]

2.4 — Interatomic distances

Removing an electron from an antibonding orbital strengthens and shortens the bond. Adding electrons to antibonding orbitals weakens and lengthens it. Consequently,

\[ r(\ce{O2^+}) < r(\ce{O2}) < r(\ce{O2^-}) < r(\ce{O2^{2-}}). \]

Assigning the supplied distances in increasing order gives

\[ \begin{aligned} r(\ce{O2^+}) &=112\ \mathrm{pm},\\ r(\ce{O2}) &=121\ \mathrm{pm},\\ r(\ce{O2^-}) &=132\ \mathrm{pm},\\ r(\ce{O2^{2-}}) &\approx149\ \mathrm{pm}. \end{aligned} \]

2.5 — Bond energies

The expected bond-strength order is the reverse of the bond-length order:

\[ E(\ce{O2^+}) > E(\ce{O2}) > E(\ce{O2^-}) > E(\ce{O2^{2-}}). \]

The conventional assignment associates approximately \(490\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) with the dioxygen double bond and approximately \(625\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) with the stronger dioxygenyl bond. Assigning approximately \(200\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) to the peroxide single bond leaves the superoxide entry unspecified:

\[ \begin{aligned} E(\ce{O2^+}) &\approx625\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}},\\ E(\ce{O2}) &\approx490\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}},\\ E(\ce{O2^{2-}}) &\approx200\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

Bond order does not determine a numerical bond energy through an exact proportionality, so the missing value should not be calculated by interpolation.

2.6 — Bond orders

For these oxygen species, the valence molecular orbital configuration can be written as

\[ (\sigma_{2s})^2 (\sigma_{2s}^{*})^2 (\sigma_{2p_z})^2 (\pi_{2p_x})^2 (\pi_{2p_y})^2 (\pi_{2p}^{*})^n, \]

where the final factor denotes the total occupation of the two degenerate antibonding \(\pi^{*}\) orbitals.

There are eight bonding electrons and \(2+n\) antibonding electrons. Therefore,

\[ \text{bond order} =\frac{N_{\mathrm{bonding}}-N_{\mathrm{antibonding}}}{2} =\frac{8-(2+n)}{2}. \]

The values of \(n\) are \(2,1,3,4\) for \(\ce{O2}\), \(\ce{O2^+}\), \(\ce{O2^-}\), and \(\ce{O2^{2-}}\), respectively. Hence,

\[ \begin{aligned} \ce{O2}:&\quad \frac{8-4}{2}=2,\\ \ce{O2^+}:&\quad \frac{8-3}{2}=2.5,\\ \ce{O2^-}:&\quad \frac{8-5}{2}=1.5,\\ \ce{O2^{2-}}:&\quad \frac{8-6}{2}=1. \end{aligned} \]

The completed table, using the energy assignment in 2.5, is:

Species Bond order Interatomic distance / pm Bonding energy / \(\mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\)
\(\ce{O2}\) 2 121 approximately 490
\(\ce{O2^+}\) 2.5 112 approximately 625
\(\ce{O2^-}\) 1.5 132 Unspecified
\(\ce{O2^{2-}}\) 1 approximately 149 approximately 200

2.7 — The proposed difluorine dianion

Difluorine, \(\ce{F2}\), has SMILES FF and fourteen valence electrons. Its bonding orbitals contain eight electrons and its antibonding orbitals contain six, giving

\[ \text{bond order of }\ce{F2}=\frac{8-6}{2}=1. \]

Adding two electrons fills the remaining antibonding \(\sigma_{2p_z}^{*}\) orbital. The hypothetical difluorine dianion would then have

\[ \boxed{\text{bond order of }\ce{F2^{2-}}=\frac{8-8}{2}=0.} \]

There is no net covalent bonding stabilization, and separation also relieves repulsion between the negative ions. Thus compounds are expected to contain individual fluoride ions, \(\ce{F^-}\), SMILES [F-], rather than a stable bonded difluorine dianion. The balanced overall reduction is

\[ \boxed{\ce{F2 + 2e^- -> 2F^-}.} \]

The appropriate product representation is [F-].[F-]: two separate fluoride ions, with no bond between them.

The solution was checked against the official solution.