International Chemistry Olympiad

IChO 1993

Perugia, Italy · 5 theory problems with complete solutions

  1. Problem 1: Radioactive iodine-131 in nuclear medicine

    \(\ce{^{131}I}\) is a radioactive isotope of iodine (\(\ce{e-}\) emitter) used in nuclear medicine for analytical procedures to determine thyroid endocrine disorders by scintigraphy. The decay rate constant, \(k\), of \(\ce{^{131}I}\) is \(9.93\times10^{-7}\ \mathrm{s^{-1}}\).

    Questions:

    1.1 Write the decay reaction of \(\ce{^{131}I}\).

    1.2 Calculate the half-life of \(\ce{^{131}I}\) expressed in days.

    1.3 Calculate the time necessary (expressed in days) for a sample of \(\ce{^{131}I}\) to reduce its activity to 30 % of the original value.

    1.4 Knowing that a Geiger counter detects activities of the order of \(10^{-4}\ \mu\mathrm{c}\), calculate the minimum amount of \(\ce{^{131}I}\) (in grams) which could be detected by this counter.

    1 Curie (c) is the amount of a radioisotope that produces \(3.7\times10^{10}\) disintegrations \(\mathrm{s^{1}}\).

    Official English text of the problem.

  2. Problem 2: HPLC determination of bile acids

    The reflux of bile duodenal matter is suspected to be the major cause of gastritis and medical therapy is based on the treatment with antiacida that buffer the \(pH\) of gastric juices by binding bile acids and lysolecithin. Two bile acids, i. e. cholic acid (CA) and glycocholic acid (GCA), were chosen to study the properties of some antiacida commercial formulations. Separation and determination of the two acids in artificial and natural gastric juices were required and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used as analytical technique.

    Two chromatographic columns (A and B, respectively) were selected on the base of published literature data and preliminary tests were carried out to choose the column (between A and B) which would yield the best separation of the aforementioned compounds. The retention times (\(t\)) of the two acids, of a substance not retained by the chromatographic columns and of a compound used as internal standard (i.s.) are shown in the first two columns of the Table. Both chromatographic columns are 25 cm long and show the efficiency of \(2.56\times10^{4}\) theoretical plates per meter (\(N\,\mathrm{m}^{-1}\)).

    In actual analysis, an artificial gastric juice was extracted with an appropriate solvents mixture and then final solution (\(1\,\mathrm{cm}^{3}\)) contained 100 % of the two acids present in the original mixture. \(100\,\mu\mathrm{cm}^{3}\) of the extract with 2.7 µmoles of the internal standard were analysed by HPLC using the selected column. The response factors (F) of CA and GCA with respect to the i.s. and the chromatographic peak areas of the two compounds are reported in the Table.

    Column A \(t\) (s) Column B \(t\) (s) F Area
    Unretained compound 120 130 - -
    Cholic Acid (CA) 380 350 0.5 2200
    Glycocholic Acid (GCA) 399 395 0.2 3520
    Internal standard 442 430 - 2304

    In answering to the questions remember that:

    \[ R=\frac{\sqrt{N}}{4}\times\frac{\alpha-1}{\alpha}\frac{K'}{K'+1} \tag{1} \]

    \[ \alpha=\frac{t'_2}{t'_1}=\frac{t_2-t_0}{t_1-t_0} \tag{2} \]

    \[ K'=K'_2=\frac{t'_2}{t_0}=\frac{t_2-t_0}{t_0} \tag{3} \]

    Questions:

    2.1 Using \(R\), \(\alpha\) and \(K'\) values, demonstrate which of the two chromatographic columns would you use, considering that an accurate determination requires the best possible (baseline) separation of all compounds (do not take into account the unretained compound)?

    2.2 Calculate the amounts of each acid in the extract solution.

    Official English text of the problem.

  3. Problem 3: Carbon monoxide from a methane burner

    The interest of this problem lies in its relevance to the risk of poisoning by carbon monoxide owing to faulty or ill-adjusted heating systems. Cases of poisoning due to this cause are rather common. The student may be aware that the acceptable concentration of \(\ce{CO}\) in air is ≤ 5 ppm and the maximum tolerable level is 50 ppm.

    The following reactions occur in methane burner:

    Figure 1
    Compound \(\ce{CH4}\) \(\ce{O2}\) \(\ce{CO2}\) \(\ce{CO}\) \(\ce{H2O}\)
    \(\Delta H_f^0\) (\(\mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\)) −74.9 0 −393.5 −110.5 −241.8
    \(S^0\) (\(\mathrm{J\,K^{-1}\,mol^{-1}}\)) 186.2 205.0 213.6 197.6 188.7

    Questions:

    3.1 Calculate the equilibrium constants for both reactions at \(T = 1500\ \mathrm{K}\) assuming that the values \(\Delta H^\circ\) and \(\Delta S^\circ\) are independent of the temperature.

    3.2 Find the relationship between the mole numbers of oxygen and carbon monoxide at equilibrium (\(T = 1500\ \mathrm{K}\), \(p = 1\ \mathrm{atm}\)) when air is admitted into the burner in such amount that the mole ratio \(\ce{CH4}:\ce{O2}\) is \(1:2\).

    Assume the following volume composition of air: 80 % \(\ce{N2}\) and 20 % \(\ce{O2}\).

    Make the approximation that \(n(\ce{CH4}) \cong 0\) at equilibrium and justify it on the bases of the answers to the question 3.1.

    3.3 Calculate the equilibrium mole fraction \(x\) of \(\ce{CO}\) in the conditions given in the question 3.2. Assume that the mole fraction of \(\ce{CO}\) is very small in comparison with that of \(\ce{CO2}\) and consequently, the total number of moles does not appreciably vary during the combustion. Justify this assumption.

    3.4 Repeat the calculations of items 3.2 and 3.3 assuming that twice the amount of air (compared to the conditions in question 3.2) is admitted into the burner (4 mol \(\ce{O2}\) : 1 mol \(\ce{CH4}\)).

    3.5 Calculate the concentrations of \(\ce{CO}\) (expressed as ppm by volume) in the fumes after condensation of water vapour under the conditions of question 3.2 and 3.4, assuming that the composition does not change appreciably during the cooling from 1500 K to room temperature and neglecting the contribution of water vapour to the composition of the gas phase.

    Official English text of the problem.

  4. Problem 4: Synthesis of frontalin

    i) Frontalin is a pheromone of the western pine beetle with composition C 67.58 %, H 9.92 %, O 22.50 %. It is an acetal that can be prepared through a rather long synthesis starting from sodium diethylmalonate (sodium salt of propanedioic acid, diethyl ester) and 3-chloro-2-methylpropene.

    ii) The product A resulting from this first step is subsequently hydrolyzed by conc. potassium hydroxide and then decarboxylated by treatment with hot acetic acid to give a compound B. The latter reacts with aq \(\ce{NaHCO3}\) (gas evolution is observed) as well as with cold aq \(\ce{KMnO4}\) which turns to a brown colour.

    iii) The compound B is then converted by \(\ce{LiAlH4}\) into a new compound C (\(\ce{C6H12O}\)).

    iv) Treatment of C with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride in pyridine and then sodium cyanide in dimethylsulfoxide, affords D (\(\ce{C7H11N}\)).

    v) The subsequent reaction of D with methylmagnesium iodide, followed by hydrolysis, yield E (\(\ce{C8H14O}\)). E shows IR absorption at ca \(1700\ \mathrm{cm^{-1}}\).

    vi) The epoxidation of E with metachloroperbenzoic acid then affords F (\(\ce{C8H14O2}\)) which, by treatment with diluted acids is converted to frontalin acetal G.

    Questions:

    4.1 Draw the structures of compounds A - G.

    Official English text of the problem.

  5. Problem 5: Asymmetric hydroboration of 1-methylcyclopentene

    By treatment with a chiral optically active hydroborating agent (\(\ce{R2^{*}BH}\)) and subsequent oxidative work-up, 1-methylcyclopentene affords a mixture of alcohols that rotates the plane of the polarized light.

    Questions:

    5.1 Write the structures of the alcohols.

    5.2 Assign the configurations (\(R, S\)) to the chiral centres.

    5.3 Explain in a sentence why the obtained mixture of alcohols exhibits optical activity.

    Official English text of the problem.