IChO 2010 · Theory problem 2

Crystal structure of alkali metal halides

Crystal structure of alkali metal halide

In crystals of ionic compounds, cations are generally arranged in the interstices of the closest packed lattice of anions. The structure of an ionic crystal such as sodium chloride becomes stable when the cations are in contact with the nearest anions.

2.1 In the crystal of sodium chloride, both \(\ce{Na+}\) and \(\ce{Cl-}\) ions form a face-centred cubic lattice. Give the numbers of \(\ce{Na+}\) and \(\ce{Cl-}\) ions in a unit cell and the coordination numbers of \(\ce{Na+}\) and \(\ce{Cl-}\) ions in sodium chloride crystal.

2.2 The ionic radii of \(\ce{Na+}\) and \(\ce{Cl-}\) ions in the crystal of sodium chloride are 0.102 nm and 0.181 nm, respectively.

Calculate the density [\(\mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}\)] of the sodium chloride crystal.

Born-Haber cycle and lattice enthalpy

In ionic inorganic compounds such as sodium chloride, the heat of lattice formation from gaseous ions is very high, and the contribution of the change in entropy is small. Therefore, the lattice formation enthalpy is estimated from enthalpy data by using a Born-Haber cycle.

2.3 The figure below shows the Born-Haber cycle of \(\ce{NaCl}\). The labels “g” and “s” represent “gas” and “solid” states, respectively. Show chemical equations in the A and F steps.

Figure 1

2.4 Calculate the enthalpy of the lattice formation of \(\ce{NaCl}\) [\(\mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\)] by using the following enthalpy data of the respective steps in the above Born-Haber cycle.

Formation of \(\ce{NaCl(s)}\) Sublimation of \(\ce{Na(s)}\) Ionization of \(\ce{Na(g)}\) Dissociation of \(\ce{Cl2(g)}\) Electron gain by \(\ce{Cl(g)}\)
\(-411\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) \(109\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) \(496\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) \(242\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) \(-349\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\)

Synthesis of sodium carbonate by the ammonia-soda process (Solvay process)

Sodium carbonate (anhydrous soda ash) is a raw material in the manufacture of glass, medicaments, alkaline detergents, etc.

2.5 The total chemical reaction in the ammonia-soda process is represented as follows:

Figure 2

This reaction between sodium chloride and calcium carbonate does not proceed directly. The process comprises the following five reactions involving ammonia:

Figure 3

where \(\Delta\) represents applying heat treatment. Insert the chemical formulas of the appropriate compounds instead of [ A ] – [ E ] in the above reactions.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

SMILES for salts below specify their constituent ions. They do not encode the extended crystal lattice or its coordination geometry.

  • 2.1: The conventional cubic unit cell contains 4 sodium ions, \(\ce{Na+}\), [Na+], and 4 chloride ions, \(\ce{Cl-}\), [Cl-]. Both ions have coordination number 6, with octahedral coordination.

  • 2.2: For sodium chloride, \(\ce{NaCl}\), [Na+].[Cl-], \[ \boxed{\rho=2.14\times10^{3}\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}}. \]

  • 2.3: \[ \boxed{\text{A: }\ce{Na(s) + 1/2 Cl2(g) -> NaCl(s)}} \] \[ \boxed{\text{F: }\ce{NaCl(s) -> Na+(g) + Cl-(g)}} \] Sodium is represented by [Na]; chlorine (dichlorine) by ClCl. The sodium SMILES does not describe the metallic lattice.

  • 2.4: \[ \boxed{\Delta H_{\text{lattice formation}}=-788\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}. \] The reverse process, step F, has \(\Delta H_F=+788\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\).

  • 2.5:
    A: calcium oxide, \(\ce{CaO}\), [Ca+2].[O-2]
    B: carbon dioxide, \(\ce{CO2}\), O=C=O
    C: sodium hydrogen carbonate (sodium bicarbonate), \(\ce{NaHCO3}\), [Na+].OC(=O)[O-]
    D: ammonium chloride, \(\ce{NH4Cl}\), [NH4+].[Cl-]
    E: calcium hydroxide, \(\ce{Ca(OH)2}\), [Ca+2].[OH-].[OH-]

Solution

2.1

Choose the conventional cubic cell with chloride ions at its corners and face centres. A corner ion is shared by eight cells, and a face-centred ion is shared by two cells. Therefore, \[ N_{\ce{Cl-}} =8\left(\frac18\right)+6\left(\frac12\right) =\boxed{4}. \]

Sodium ions occupy all the octahedral sites of this chloride lattice: the twelve edge centres and the body centre. An edge-centred ion is shared by four cells, while the body-centred ion belongs entirely to one cell: \[ N_{\ce{Na+}} =12\left(\frac14\right)+1 =\boxed{4}. \]

Each sodium ion has six nearest chloride neighbours, situated along the positive and negative directions of three mutually perpendicular axes. These neighbours form an octahedron around it. The same description applies to the six sodium neighbours of each chloride ion.

Thus, \[ \boxed{\mathrm{CN}(\ce{Na+})=\mathrm{CN}(\ce{Cl-})=6}. \]

2.2

Let the cubic cell edge be \(a\). Along an edge, a corner chloride ion touches the sodium ion at the edge centre. Their separation is \(a/2\), so \[ \frac a2=r_{\ce{Na+}}+r_{\ce{Cl-}}. \]

Consequently, \[ a=2(0.102+0.181)\ \mathrm{nm} =0.566\ \mathrm{nm} =5.66\times10^{-10}\ \mathrm m. \]

The cell volume is \[ V_{\text{cell}}=a^3 =(5.66\times10^{-10}\ \mathrm m)^3 =1.81321496\times10^{-28}\ \mathrm{m^3}. \]

There are four formula units of sodium chloride per cell, hence \[ m_{\text{cell}}=\frac{4M(\ce{NaCl})}{N_{\mathrm A}}. \]

The problem does not list molar masses or Avogadro’s constant. Using the standard values \[ M(\ce{NaCl})=(22.99+35.45)\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}} =58.44\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{kg\,mol^{-1}}, \] \[ N_{\mathrm A}=6.02214076\times10^{23}\ \mathrm{mol^{-1}}, \] gives \[ m_{\text{cell}} =\frac{4(58.44\times10^{-3})}{6.02214076\times10^{23}} =3.88168\times10^{-25}\ \mathrm{kg}. \]

Therefore, \[ \rho=\frac{m_{\text{cell}}}{V_{\text{cell}}} =\frac{3.88168\times10^{-25}}{1.81321496\times10^{-28}} \ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}, \] \[ \boxed{\rho=2.14\times10^3\ \mathrm{kg\,m^{-3}}}. \]

2.3

Step A forms one mole of solid sodium chloride from its elements in their standard states: solid sodium and gaseous chlorine. Since chlorine is diatomic, half a mole is required: \[ \boxed{\ce{Na(s) + 1/2 Cl2(g) -> NaCl(s)}}. \]

The upward arrow F represents dissociation of the solid into separated gaseous ions: \[ \boxed{\ce{NaCl(s) -> Na+(g) + Cl-(g)}}. \]

Both equations conserve atoms and charge. Step F is the reverse of lattice formation.

2.4

Write the alternative route from the elements to solid sodium chloride. The atomic chlorine intermediate, \(\ce{Cl(g)}\), has SMILES [Cl].

Step Reaction Enthalpy contribution per mole of \(\ce{NaCl}\), \(\mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\)
B: sublimation \(\ce{Na(s) -> Na(g)}\) \(+109\)
C: ionization \(\ce{Na(g) -> Na+(g) + e-}\) \(+496\)
D: chlorine dissociation \(\ce{1/2 Cl2(g) -> Cl(g)}\) \(+\frac{242}{2}=+121\)
E: electron gain \(\ce{Cl(g) + e- -> Cl-(g)}\) \(-349\)
Lattice formation \(\ce{Na+(g) + Cl-(g) -> NaCl(s)}\) \(\Delta H_{\text{lattice formation}}\)

The chlorine dissociation value is halved because the stated \(242\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}\) applies to dissociation of one mole of \(\ce{Cl2}\), producing two moles of chlorine atoms.

Adding the reactions cancels the gaseous intermediates and the electron, leaving the formation reaction in step A. Hess’s law therefore gives \[ -411=109+496+\frac{242}{2}-349 +\Delta H_{\text{lattice formation}}. \]

Thus, \[ \Delta H_{\text{lattice formation}} =-411-(109+496+121-349) =-411-377, \] \[ \boxed{\Delta H_{\text{lattice formation}}=-788\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}. \]

The negative sign indicates that forming the ionic lattice releases heat.

2.5

The additional species appearing in the completed reactions are:

Name Formula SMILES
Calcium carbonate \(\ce{CaCO3}\) [Ca+2].[O-]C(=O)[O-]
Ammonia \(\ce{NH3}\) N
Water \(\ce{H2O}\) O
Sodium carbonate \(\ce{Na2CO3}\) [Na+].[Na+].[O-]C(=O)[O-]
Calcium chloride \(\ce{CaCl2}\) [Ca+2].[Cl-].[Cl-]

Heating calcium carbonate produces calcium oxide and carbon dioxide: \[ \ce{CaCO3 ->[\Delta] CaO + CO2}. \] Therefore, A is \(\ce{CaO}\) and B is \(\ce{CO2}\).

Carbon dioxide reacts with ammonia and water in the sodium chloride solution. Sodium hydrogen carbonate precipitates because of its relatively low solubility under the process conditions; ammonium chloride remains in solution: \[ \ce{NaCl + NH3 + CO2 + H2O -> NaHCO3 + NH4Cl}. \] Thus, C is \(\ce{NaHCO3}\) and D is \(\ce{NH4Cl}\).

Heating sodium hydrogen carbonate produces sodium carbonate, water, and carbon dioxide: \[ \ce{2NaHCO3 ->[\Delta] Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2}. \] This confirms C and also regenerates some of the carbon dioxide used in the preceding reaction.

Calcium oxide reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide: \[ \ce{CaO + H2O -> Ca(OH)2}. \] Hence, E is \(\ce{Ca(OH)2}\).

Finally, the basic calcium hydroxide regenerates ammonia from ammonium chloride: \[ \ce{Ca(OH)2 + 2NH4Cl -> CaCl2 + 2H2O + 2NH3}. \]

To verify the overall stoichiometry, take the carbonation reaction twice and each of the other four reactions once. Cancelling the intermediates, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and water gives \[ \boxed{\ce{2NaCl + CaCO3 -> Na2CO3 + CaCl2}}, \] as required.

The solution was checked against the official solution. Where this solution differs from the official solution, the official solution contains an error or a misprint.