IChO 2002 · Theory problem 1

Oxygen in Your Life

Theme 1 - Chemistry of Life

Life runs on chemistry. Understanding and monitoring life processes receive much attention in chemistry.

PROBLEM 1

OXYGEN IN YOUR LIFE

Oxygen is of vital importance for all of us. Oxygen enters the body via the lungs and is transported to the tissues in our body by blood. There it can deliver energy by the oxidation of sugars:

Figure 1

This reaction releases 400 kJ of energy per mol of oxygen. \(\ce{O2}\) uptake by blood is at four heme (Hm) groups in the protein hemoglobin (Hb).

Free Hm consists of an \(\ce{Fe^2+}\) ion attached to four \(\ce{N}\) atoms of a \(\ce{{porphyrin}^{2-}}\) ligand. Oxygen can bind at the coordination site of \(\ce{Fe^2+}\) giving a \(\ce{Hm.O2}\) complex. Carbon monoxide can be complexed similarly, giving a \(\ce{Hm.CO}\) complex. \(\ce{CO}\) is a poison as it binds more strongly to Hm than \(\ce{O2}\) does. The equilibrium constant \(K_1\) for the reaction:

Figure 2

is 10 000 times larger than the equilibrium constant \(K_2\) for the reaction:

Figure 3

Each Hb molecule can take up four molecules of \(\ce{O2}\). Blood in contact with \(\ce{O2}\) absorbs a fraction of this amount, depending on the oxygen pressure, as shown in Figure 1 (curve 1). Also shown are the curves (2) and (3) for blood with two kinds of deficient Hb. These occur in patients with certain hereditary diseases.

Relevant data: \(\ce{O2}\) pressure in lungs is 15 kPa; in the muscles it is 2 kPa. The maximum flow of blood through heart and lungs is \(4\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{m^3\,s^{-1}}\). The red cells in blood occupy 40 % of the blood volume; inside the cells the concentration of Hb is \(340\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}\); Hb has a molar mass of \(64\ \mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}\). \(R=8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}\). \(T=298\ \mathrm{K}\).

Figure 4

Figure 1

1.1 Using the relation between \(K\) and the standard Gibbs energy \(\Delta G^0\) for a reaction, calculate the difference between the \(\Delta G^0\) values for the heme reactions (1) and (2).

1.2 Estimate from Figure 1 (to 2 significant figures) how many moles of \(\ce{O2}\) are deposited in muscle tissue when one mole of Hb travels from the lungs to the muscles and back again for the three different types of Hb.

1.3 The special S-shaped uptake curve 1 is the result of subtle structural features of Hb. The deficient Hb shown in curve 2 is not optimal because:

  • ☐ The binding with \(\ce{O2}\) is too weak.
  • ☐ The binding with \(\ce{O2}\) is too strong.
  • ☐ The maximum oxygen capacity is too low.
  • ☐ The deficiency is caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

1.4 Calculate how much oxygen (in \(\mathrm{mol\,s^{-1}}\)) can be deposited in tissue by blood with normal Hb (1).

1.5 Calculate the maximum power that the body can produce (assuming it is limited by oxygen transfer).

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 1.1: \(\boxed{\Delta G_1^\circ-\Delta G_2^\circ=-22.8\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}\). The standard Gibbs energy of carbon monoxide binding is lower by \(22.8\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\).
  • 1.2: Approximately \(\boxed{3.2,\ 1.6,\ 2.9\ \mathrm{mol}}\) of \(\ce{O2}\) per mole of Hb for curves (1), (2), and (3), respectively.
  • 1.3: Select the second box: “The binding with \(\ce{O2}\) is too strong.”
  • 1.4: \(\boxed{2.7\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,s^{-1}}}\) of \(\ce{O2}\).
  • 1.5: \(\boxed{1.1\times10^3\ \mathrm{W}=1.1\ \mathrm{kW}}\).

Solution

The small molecules involved in the binding comparison are molecular oxygen (dioxygen), \(\ce{O2}\), SMILES O=O, and carbon monoxide, \(\ce{CO}\), SMILES [C-]#[O+]. Hm denotes the heme binding site defined in the problem; its detailed structure is unnecessary for these calculations.

1.1

For the binding equilibria

\[ \ce{Hm + CO <=> Hm.CO} \tag{1} \]

and

\[ \ce{Hm + O2 <=> Hm.O2}, \tag{2} \]

the standard Gibbs energy is related to the equilibrium constant by

\[ \Delta G^\circ=-RT\ln K. \]

Subtracting the values for reactions (1) and (2),

\[ \begin{aligned} \Delta G_1^\circ-\Delta G_2^\circ &=-RT\ln\left(\frac{K_1}{K_2}\right)\\ &=-(8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}) (298\ \mathrm{K})\ln(10\,000)\\ &=-2.2819\times10^4\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}\\ &=\boxed{-22.8\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}. \end{aligned} \]

The negative sign means that carbon monoxide binding has the more favorable standard Gibbs energy.

1.2

Let \(f(p)\) be the oxygenated fraction shown in Figure 1. Since each Hb molecule can bind four oxygen molecules, one mole of Hb carries \(4f(p)\) moles of \(\ce{O2}\).

Thus, the amount released in the muscles during one complete circulation is

\[ n_{\mathrm{released}} =4\left[f(15\ \mathrm{kPa})-f(2\ \mathrm{kPa})\right] \quad\text{mol of \(\ce{O2}\) per mol of Hb}. \]

Approximate readings from the graph give:

Hb curve Fraction in lungs, \(f(15)\) Fraction in muscles, \(f(2)\) Oxygen deposited per mole of Hb
(1), normal \(0.98\) \(0.18\) \(4(0.98-0.18)=\boxed{3.2\ \mathrm{mol}}\)
(2), deficient \(1.00\) \(0.60\) \(4(1.00-0.60)=\boxed{1.6\ \mathrm{mol}}\)
(3), deficient \(0.74\) \(0.01\) \(4(0.74-0.01)=2.92\approx\boxed{2.9\ \mathrm{mol}}\)

Returning to the lungs restores the oxygen loading for the next circulation.

1.3

Curve (2) reaches high oxygenation at a lower oxygen pressure than normal Hb, indicating stronger oxygen binding. At the muscle oxygen pressure of \(2\ \mathrm{kPa}\), it remains about \(60\%\) oxygenated, so much of its oxygen remains bound instead of being delivered to the tissue.

Therefore, select:

☑ The binding with \(\ce{O2}\) is too strong.

Its oxygenation in the lungs is essentially complete; the deficiency concerns oxygen release.

1.4

The concentration of Hb given in the problem applies to the red cells, which occupy \(40\%\) of the blood volume. The Hb concentration in whole blood is therefore

\[ c_{\mathrm{Hb}} =\frac{0.40(340\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}})} {64\ \mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}} =2.125\ \mathrm{mol\,m^{-3}}. \]

At the maximum blood flow, the molar flow of Hb is

\[ \begin{aligned} \dot n_{\mathrm{Hb}} &=(4\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{m^3\,s^{-1}}) (2.125\ \mathrm{mol\,m^{-3}})\\ &=8.50\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,s^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

Normal Hb delivers approximately \(3.2\) moles of oxygen per mole of Hb, so

\[ \begin{aligned} \dot n_{\ce{O2}} &=(8.50\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol\,Hb\,s^{-1}}) \left(3.2\ \frac{\mathrm{mol}\ \ce{O2}}{\mathrm{mol\,Hb}}\right)\\ &=2.72\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,s^{-1}}\\ &\approx\boxed{2.7\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,s^{-1}}}. \end{aligned} \]

1.5

The energy released is \(400\ \mathrm{kJ}\) per mole of oxygen consumed. Using the unrounded intermediate oxygen-delivery rate,

\[ \begin{aligned} P_{\max} &=\dot n_{\ce{O2}}\left(400\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\right)\\ &=(2.72\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol\,s^{-1}}) (400\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}})\\ &=1.088\ \mathrm{kJ\,s^{-1}}\\ &\approx\boxed{1.1\ \mathrm{kW}}. \end{aligned} \]

This is the maximum chemical-energy release rate under the stated oxygen-transfer limitation.

The solution was checked against the official solution.