IChO 2008 · Theory problem 8

Photochemistry of cerium(III) chloride solutions

Ms. Z was a bright student, whose research project was to measure the complexation of all lanthanide(III) ions with newly designed complexing ligands. One day she monitored the UV-VIS absorption with Ce(III) and a particularly poor complexing ligand in a spectrophotometer. She noticed that some small bubbles had formed in the closed cell by the end of the 12-hour experiment. Soon she realized that the presence of the ligand is not necessary to see the bubble formation, and continued her experiments with an acidified \(\ce{CeCl3}\) solution. Bubble formation never occurred when she just kept the solution in the spectrophotometer without turning on the instrument. Next, Ms. Z used a small quartz flask, in which she dipped a chloride ion selective electrode and could also withdraw samples regularly for spectrophotometric measurements. She calibrated the chloride ion selective electrode using two different \(\ce{NaCl}\) solutions and obtained the following results:

\(c_{\ce{NaCl}}\) \((\mathrm{mol/dm^3})\) \(E\) \((\mathrm{mV})\)
0.1000 26.9
1.000 −32.2

8.1 Give a formula to calculate the chloride ion concentration of an unknown sample based on the electrode voltage reading (\(E\)).

Ms. Z also determined the molar absorption coefficient for \(\ce{Ce^3+}\) (\(\varepsilon = 35.2\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,cm^{-1}}\)) at 295 nm, and, as a precaution, also for \(\ce{Ce^4+}\) (\(\varepsilon = 3967\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,cm^{-1}}\)).

8.2 Give a formula to calculate the \(\ce{Ce^3+}\) concentration from an absorbance reading at 295 nm (\(A\)) measured in a solution containing \(\ce{CeCl3}\) (cuvette path length: 1.000 cm).

Ms. Z prepared a solution which contained \(0.0100\ \mathrm{mol/dm^3}\) \(\ce{CeCl3}\) and \(0.1050\ \mathrm{mol/dm^3}\) \(\ce{HCl}\), and began her experiment by turning on a quartz lamp. \(\ce{HCl}\) does not absorb at 295 nm.

8.3 What were the expected initial absorbance (\(A_{295\,\mathrm{nm}}\)) and voltage (\(E\)) readings?

Before the quantitative experiment Ms. Z collected the gas formed into a carefully neutralized solution of methyl orange (acid-base and redox indicator). Although she saw bubbles going through the solution, the colour did not change or fade even after a day.

8.4 Give the formula of two gases, comprised of elements in the illuminated sample, which could not be present given the results of this experiment.

During her quantitative experiment she recorded the absorbance and voltage values regularly. The uncertainty of the spectophotometric measurements is \(\pm 0.002\) and the accuracy of the voltage measurements is \(\pm 0.3\ \mathrm{mV}\).

time (min) 0 120 240 360 480
\(A_{295\,\mathrm{nm}}\) 0.3496 0.3488 0.3504 0.3489 0.3499
\(E\) (mV) 19.0 18.8 18.8 19.1 19.2

8.5 Estimate the average rate of change in the concentrations of \(\ce{Ce^3+}\), \(\ce{Cl-}\), and \(\ce{H+}\).

\[ \mathrm{d}[\ce{Ce^3+}]/\mathrm{d}t = \mathrm{d}[\ce{Cl-}]/\mathrm{d}t = \mathrm{d}[\ce{H+}]/\mathrm{d}t =\,? \]

The following day, Ms. Z used an intense monochromatic light beam (254 nm) with an intensity of 0.0500 W. She passed this light through a 5-cm long quartz photoreactor filled with the same acidic \(\ce{CeCl3}\) solution she had used before. She measured the molar absorption coefficient for \(\ce{Ce^3+}\) (\(\varepsilon = 2400\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,cm^{-1}}\)) at 254 nm.

8.6 What percentage of the light is absorbed in this experimental setup?

The equipment allowed her to lead the gas first through a drying tube that removed traces of water vapour and then into a closed chamber, whose volume was \(68\ \mathrm{cm^3}\). The chamber was equipped with a high-precision manometer and an igniter. She first filled the chamber with dry argon to a pressure of 102165 Pa and then she turned on the lamp. In 18.00 hours, the pressure reached 114075 Pa. The temperature of the equipment was \(22.0\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\).

8.7 Estimate the amount of substance of the gas collected in the chamber.

At this point, Ms. Z turned off the light and pressed the ignition button. When the chamber cooled down to the initial temperature, the final pressure was 104740 Pa.

8.8 Suggest the formula(s) of the gas(es) formed and collected, and give the balanced equation for the original chemical reaction taking place under illumination.

8.9 What would be the final pressure after the ignition if the chamber was being filled for 24 hours before ignition?

8.10 Estimate the quantum yield of product formation in the Ce(III) solution.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 8.1 For chloride ion, \(\ce{Cl-}\) ([Cl-]): \[ \boxed{[\ce{Cl-}] =10^{-(E/\mathrm{mV}+32.2)/59.1}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}.} \]

  • 8.2 For cerium(III) ion, \(\ce{Ce^3+}\) ([Ce+3]), in the initial solution: \[ \boxed{[\ce{Ce^3+}]=\frac{A}{35.2}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}.} \]

  • 8.3 \(\boxed{A_{295\,\mathrm{nm}}=0.352,\qquad E=19.2\ \mathrm{mV}.}\)

  • 8.4 Hydrogen chloride, \(\ce{HCl}\) ([H]Cl), and chlorine, \(\ce{Cl2}\) (ClCl).

  • 8.5 All three average rates are indistinguishable from zero: \[ \boxed{ \frac{\mathrm d[\ce{Ce^3+}]}{\mathrm dt} \simeq \frac{\mathrm d[\ce{Cl-}]}{\mathrm dt} \simeq \frac{\mathrm d[\ce{H+}]}{\mathrm dt} \simeq0\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,min^{-1}}. } \] Here \(\ce{H+}\) denotes the hydrogen ion or proton ([H+]).

  • 8.6 \(\boxed{100(1-10^{-120})\%\simeq100\%.}\)

  • 8.7 \(\boxed{n_{\mathrm{gas}}\simeq3.3\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}.}\)

  • 8.8 Hydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\) ([H][H]), and oxygen, \(\ce{O2}\) (O=O), in a \(2:1\) molar ratio. Water (O) undergoes photochemical decomposition: \[ \boxed{\ce{2H2O(l) -> 2H2(g) + O2(g)}} \] under illumination, with cerium(III) acting as photocatalyst.

  • 8.9 \(\boxed{p_{\mathrm{final}}=104740\ \mathrm{Pa}.}\)

  • 8.10 Counting both gaseous products: \[ \boxed{\Phi_{\mathrm{gas}}=0.048\ \text{molecules per absorbed photon}.} \] The individual product yields are \[ \boxed{\Phi_{\ce{H2}}=0.032,\qquad \Phi_{\ce{O2}}=0.016.} \]

Solution

The SMILES specify chemical species and connectivity; they do not depict aqueous solvation or cerium coordination geometry. The oxygen SMILES O=O does not encode its ground-state triplet spin.

8.1

The chloride electrode has a logarithmic concentration response:

\[ E=a+b\log_{10}\!\left(\frac{[\ce{Cl-}]}{1\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}}\right). \]

The two calibration concentrations differ by a factor of ten, giving

\[ b=\frac{-32.2-26.9}{\log_{10}(1.000)-\log_{10}(0.1000)} =-59.1\ \mathrm{mV}. \]

At \(1.000\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\), the logarithm is zero, so \(a=-32.2\ \mathrm{mV}\). Therefore,

\[ \frac{E}{\mathrm{mV}} =-32.2-59.1\log_{10}\!\left( \frac{[\ce{Cl-}]}{1\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}} \right), \]

and hence

\[ \boxed{ [\ce{Cl-}]=10^{-(E/\mathrm{mV}+32.2)/59.1}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. } \]

8.2

The Beer–Lambert law is

\[ A=\varepsilon \ell c. \]

For a solution whose cerium is present as cerium(III),

\[ [\ce{Ce^3+}] =\frac{A} {(35.2\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,cm^{-1}})(1.000\ \mathrm{cm})}, \]

so

\[ \boxed{[\ce{Ce^3+}]=\frac{A}{35.2}\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}.} \]

If cerium(IV), \(\ce{Ce^4+}\) ([Ce+4]), were also present, its contribution would have to be included:

\[ A=\ell\left(\varepsilon_3[\ce{Ce^3+}] +\varepsilon_4[\ce{Ce^4+}]\right). \]

8.3

Cerium(III) chloride, \(\ce{CeCl3}\) ([Ce+3].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-]), supplies three chloride ions per cerium ion. Dissolved hydrogen chloride supplies one chloride ion per formula unit. Thus,

\[ [\ce{Cl-}]_0 =3(0.0100)+0.1050 =0.1350\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}. \]

The initial absorbance is

\[ A_0=(35.2)(1.000)(0.0100)=\boxed{0.352}. \]

The initial electrode voltage is

\[ E_0=-32.2-59.1\log_{10}(0.1350) =19.197\ldots\ \mathrm{mV}, \]

or

\[ \boxed{E_0=19.2\ \mathrm{mV}.} \]

8.4

The two excluded gases are:

  • Hydrogen chloride, \(\ce{HCl}\): its dissolution would acidify the carefully neutralized indicator solution and change the methyl-orange colour.
  • Chlorine, \(\ce{Cl2}\): it would oxidatively bleach the indicator; its reaction with water also acidifies the solution.

The absence of either a colour change or fading excludes these gases at detectable amounts in this qualitative experiment.

8.5

A constant absorbance and a constant electrode voltage are compatible with every reading at the stated uncertainties. In particular, the endpoint changes are only

\[ \Delta A=0.3499-0.3496=0.0003, \qquad \Delta E=19.2-19.0=0.2\ \mathrm{mV}. \]

Neither establishes a concentration trend.

The absorbance also rules out detectable net conversion of cerium(III) into cerium(IV). Let \(c_T=c_3+c_4\) be the conserved total cerium concentration. Then

\[ A=\ell\left[\varepsilon_3c_T+(\varepsilon_4-\varepsilon_3)c_4\right]. \]

Since

\[ \varepsilon_4-\varepsilon_3 =3967-35.2 =3931.8\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,cm^{-1}}, \]

even a small accumulation of cerium(IV) would increase the absorbance appreciably. The measurements show no detectable net change in the cerium oxidation-state distribution.

The constant electrode voltage similarly indicates no detectable change in chloride concentration. At this acidity, charge balance gives

\[ [\ce{H+}]+3[\ce{Ce^3+}]+4[\ce{Ce^4+}]=[\ce{Cl-}]. \]

Consequently, the hydrogen-ion concentration also remains constant within the experimental resolution:

\[ \boxed{ \frac{\mathrm d[\ce{Ce^3+}]}{\mathrm dt} \simeq \frac{\mathrm d[\ce{Cl-}]}{\mathrm dt} \simeq \frac{\mathrm d[\ce{H+}]}{\mathrm dt} \simeq0\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}\,min^{-1}}. } \]

8.6

At 254 nm, the absorbance through the photoreactor is

\[ A_{254} =(2400\ \mathrm{dm^3\,mol^{-1}\,cm^{-1}}) (5\ \mathrm{cm}) (0.0100\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}) =120. \]

Because \(A=-\log_{10}(I/I_0)\),

\[ \frac{I}{I_0}=10^{-120}. \]

Therefore, the absorbed percentage is

\[ \boxed{100(1-10^{-120})\%\simeq100\%.} \]

Essentially all incident light is absorbed.

8.7

The amount of argon, \(\ce{Ar}\) ([Ar]), remains unchanged. At constant volume and temperature, the pressure increase is therefore due to the newly collected gas:

\[ \Delta p=114075-102165=11910\ \mathrm{Pa}. \]

Using

\[ V=68\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{m^3},\qquad T=22.0+273.15=295.15\ \mathrm{K}, \]

and \(R=8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}\),

\[ n_{\mathrm{gas}} =\frac{\Delta pV}{RT} =\frac{(11910)(68\times10^{-6})}{(8.314)(295.15)} =3.300\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Thus, to the precision of the stated volume,

\[ \boxed{n_{\mathrm{gas}}\simeq3.3\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}.} \]

8.8

The gas mixture reacts on ignition, as shown by the substantial pressure decrease. Hydrogen is combustible, while oxygen provides the oxidant required for combustion in the initially argon-filled chamber. Both gases are consistent with the unchanged methyl-orange indicator.

The solution measurements show no detectable net consumption of cerium(III), chloride, or hydrogen ions. The consistent overall process is therefore light-driven water decomposition:

\[ \boxed{\ce{2H2O(l) -> 2H2(g) + O2(g)}.} \]

Cerium(III) absorbs the light and is regenerated overall. The gases are produced in the molar ratio

\[ n_{\ce{H2}}:n_{\ce{O2}}=2:1. \]

Their amounts after 18 hours are consequently

\[ n_{\ce{H2}}=\frac23n_{\mathrm{gas}} \simeq2.2\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}, \]

\[ n_{\ce{O2}}=\frac13n_{\mathrm{gas}} \simeq1.1\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Ignition reverses the overall reaction:

\[ \boxed{\ce{2H2(g) + O2(g) -> 2H2O}.} \]

After cooling, the newly formed water is distributed between liquid and vapour.

8.9

The argon partial pressure returns to its original value when the chamber returns to its original temperature. Thus, after the 18-hour experiment, the water-vapour contribution is

\[ p_{\ce{H2O}} =104740-102165 =2575\ \mathrm{Pa}. \]

Combustion produces two water molecules for every three molecules of collected gas. If all this water remained gaseous, its pressure contribution would be

\[ p_{\ce{H2O},\,\text{all vapour}} =\frac23(11910) =7940\ \mathrm{Pa}. \]

The observed contribution is substantially smaller, so some water has condensed. Liquid water is therefore present, and the vapour is saturated at the final temperature.

Collecting the gases for 24 hours produces more water upon ignition. At the same final temperature, the additional water increases the amount of liquid while the equilibrium vapour pressure stays the same. Hence,

\[ \boxed{ p_{\mathrm{final},\,24\mathrm{h}} =102165+2575 =104740\ \mathrm{Pa}. } \]

8.10

The quantum yield is the number of product molecules formed per absorbed photon. From 8.6, essentially all incident photons are absorbed.

The light energy supplied in 18.00 hours is

\[ Q=Pt =(0.0500\ \mathrm{J\,s^{-1}})(18.00\times3600\ \mathrm{s}) =3240\ \mathrm{J}. \]

Using \(h=6.626\times10^{-34}\ \mathrm{J\,s}\) and \(c=2.998\times10^8\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}\), the energy of one 254-nm photon is

\[ E_\gamma=\frac{hc}{\lambda} =\frac{(6.626\times10^{-34})(2.998\times10^8)} {254\times10^{-9}} =7.82\times10^{-19}\ \mathrm{J}. \]

The amount of absorbed photons, with \(N_A=6.022\times10^{23}\ \mathrm{mol^{-1}}\), is

\[ n_\gamma =\frac{Q}{N_AE_\gamma} =6.88\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Counting all newly formed gas molecules,

\[ \Phi_{\mathrm{gas}} =\frac{n_{\ce{H2}}+n_{\ce{O2}}}{n_\gamma} =\frac{3.300\times10^{-4}}{6.88\times10^{-3}} =\boxed{0.048}. \]

This means approximately 4.8 gas molecules per 100 absorbed photons.

For each product separately,

\[ \boxed{ \Phi_{\ce{H2}}=\frac23\Phi_{\mathrm{gas}}=0.032, \qquad \Phi_{\ce{O2}}=\frac13\Phi_{\mathrm{gas}}=0.016. } \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.