IChO 2017 · Theory problem 6

Iron

Iron (\(\ce{Fe}\)) is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and has been used for more than 5,000 years.

Part A.

Pure iron is easily oxidized, which limits its utilization. Element X is one of the alloying elements that is added to improve the oxidation resistance property of iron.

6.1 Below is some information about the element X:

(1) In first ionization, an electron with quantum numbers \(n_1=4-l_1\) is removed.

(2) In second ionization, an electron with quantum numbers \(n_2=5-l_2\) is removed.

(3) The atomic mass of X is lower than that of \(\ce{Fe}\).

What is the element X?

(Answer by writing the proper symbol according to the periodic table.)

6.2 Both \(\ce{Fe}\) and X crystallize in the body centered cubic structure. Approximating the \(\ce{Fe}\) atoms as hard-spheres, the volume taken up by the \(\ce{Fe}\) atoms inside the unit cell is \(1.59\times10^{-23}\ \mathrm{cm^3}\). The volume of the unit cell of X is \(0.0252\ \mathrm{nm^3}\). A complete substitutional solid solution usually occurs when

\[ \Delta R=\left(\frac{|R_X-R_{\ce{Fe}}|}{R_{\ce{Fe}}}\right)\times100 \]

is less than or equal to 15, where \(R_X\) and \(R_{\ce{Fe}}\) are the atomic radii of X and \(\ce{Fe}\), respectively. Can X and \(\ce{Fe}\) form a complete substitutional solid solution?

Tick the relevant box ☐ YES  ☐ NO.

Show your calculation. The volume of sphere is \(4/3\pi r^3\).

Part B.

Iron in natural water is in the form of \(\ce{Fe(HCO3)2}\), which ionizes to \(\ce{Fe^2+}\) and \(\ce{HCO3^-}\). To remove iron from water, \(\ce{Fe(HCO3)2}\) is oxidized to an insoluble complex \(\ce{Fe(OH)3}\), which can be filtered out of the water.

6.3 \(\ce{Fe^2+}\) can be oxidized by \(\ce{KMnO4}\) in a basic solution to yield \(\ce{Fe(OH)3}\) and \(\ce{MnO2}\) precipitates. Write the balanced ionic equation for this reaction in a basic solution.

6.4 Under this condition, \(\ce{HCO3^-}\) ions are converted to \(\ce{CO3^2-}\). Write the balanced ionic equation for this reaction in a basic solution.

6.5 A covalent compound A which contains more than 2 atoms and, a potential oxidizing agent, can be prepared by the reaction between diatomic halogen molecule (\(\ce{X2}\)) and \(\ce{NaQO2}\)

Figure 1

where \(x\), \(y\) and \(z\) are the coefficients for the balanced equation. Among the binary compounds between hydrogen and halogen, \(\ce{HX}\) has the lowest boiling point. Identify X and if A has an unpaired electron, draw a Lewis structure of compound A with zero formal charge on all atoms.

6.6 Compound D is an unstable oxidizing agent that can be used to remove \(\ce{Fe(HCO3)2}\) from natural water. It consists of elements G, Z and hydrogen and the oxidation number of Z is +1. In this compound, hydrogen is connected to the element having the higher electronegativity among them. Below is some information about the elements G and Z:

(1) G exists in its normal state as a diatomic molecule, \(\ce{G2}\).

(2) Z has one proton fewer than that of element E. E exists as a gas under standard conditions. \(\ce{Z2}\) is a volatile solid.

(3) The compound \(\ce{EG3}\) has a pyramidal shape.

Identify the elements G and Z and draw a molecular structure of compound D.

Part C.

\(\ce{^{59}Fe}\) is a radiopharmaceutical isotope which is used in the study of iron metabolism in the spleen. This isotope decays to \(\ce{^{59}Co}\) as follows:

Figure 2

6.7 What are a and b in equation (1)? (Mark ✓ in the appropriate boxes.)

proton neutron beta positron alpha gamma

6.8 Consider equation (1), if the \(\ce{^{59}Fe}\) isotope is left for 178 days which is \(n\) times of its half-life (\(t_{1/2}\)), the mole ratio of \(\ce{^{59}Co}\) to \(\ce{^{59}Fe}\) is 15 : 1. If \(n\) is an integer, what is the half-life of \(\ce{^{59}Fe}\) in day(s)? Show your calculation.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 6.1: \(\boxed{X=\ce{Cr}}\), chromium.
  • 6.2: YES, according to the stated criterion. \(R_{\ce{Fe}}=0.124\ \mathrm{nm}\), \(R_X=0.127\ \mathrm{nm}\); the radius mismatch is approximately \(2.5\%\).
  • 6.3: \[ \boxed{\ce{3Fe^2+ + MnO4^- + 5OH^- + 2H2O -> 3Fe(OH)3(s) + MnO2(s)}} \]
  • 6.4: \[ \boxed{\ce{HCO3^- + OH^- -> CO3^2- + H2O}} \]
  • 6.5: \(X=\ce{Cl}\); A is chlorine dioxide, \(\ce{ClO2}\), SMILES O=[Cl]=O. \[ \ce{Cl2 + 2NaClO2 -> 2ClO2 + 2NaCl} \] The requested Lewis structure has two chlorine–oxygen double bonds, two lone pairs on each oxygen, and one lone pair plus one unpaired electron on chlorine. All formal charges are zero.
  • 6.6: \(G=\ce{O}\), \(Z=\ce{I}\). D is hypoiodous acid, \(\ce{HOI}\), SMILES [H]OI. Its structure is \(\ce{H-O-I}\), bent at oxygen.
  • 6.7: Mark beta and gamma: \(a=\beta^-\), \(b=\gamma\), with their order interchangeable.
  • 6.8: \(n=4\), and \(\boxed{t_{1/2}=44.5\ \text{days}}\).

Solution

6.1

The quantum-number conditions are

\[ n_1+l_1=4,\qquad n_2+l_2=5. \]

The allowed subshells satisfying the first condition are \(4s\) and \(3p\); those satisfying the second are \(5s\), \(4p\), and \(3d\). For an element lighter than iron, the relevant successive removals are from \(4s\) and then \(3d\).

Chromium has the ground-state configuration

\[ \ce{Cr}:\quad [\ce{Ar}]\,3d^5\,4s^1. \]

Removing its single \(4s\) electron gives chromium(I), \(\ce{Cr+}\), SMILES [Cr+], with configuration \([\ce{Ar}]\,3d^5\). The next electron is removed from \(3d\), producing chromium(II), \(\ce{Cr^2+}\), SMILES [Cr+2], with configuration \([\ce{Ar}]\,3d^4\).

Thus,

\[ (n_1,l_1)=(4,0),\qquad(n_2,l_2)=(3,2), \]

which satisfy both conditions. Chromium also has a lower atomic mass than iron. Therefore,

\[ \boxed{X=\ce{Cr}}. \]

6.2

A body centered cubic unit cell contains

\[ 8\left(\frac18\right)+1=2 \]

atoms. The given volume for iron is the volume occupied by these two atomic spheres, so

\[ 2\left(\frac43\pi R_{\ce{Fe}}^3\right) =1.59\times10^{-23}\ \mathrm{cm^3}. \]

Consequently,

\[ R_{\ce{Fe}} =\left(\frac{3(1.59\times10^{-23}\ \mathrm{cm^3})}{8\pi}\right)^{1/3} =1.23811\times10^{-8}\ \mathrm{cm} =0.123811\ \mathrm{nm}. \]

For X, the given value is the entire unit-cell volume. Its edge length is

\[ a_X=(0.0252\ \mathrm{nm^3})^{1/3} =0.293179\ \mathrm{nm}. \]

In a body centered cubic structure, atoms touch along the body diagonal:

\[ 4R_X=\sqrt3\,a_X. \]

Therefore,

\[ R_X=\frac{\sqrt3}{4}(0.293179\ \mathrm{nm}) =0.126950\ \mathrm{nm}. \]

Using the unrounded radii,

\[ \Delta R =\frac{|0.126950-0.123811|}{0.123811}\times100 =2.5356. \]

The radius mismatch is approximately \(2.5\%\), below the stated \(15\%\) limit. Therefore, tick YES.

6.3

Iron is oxidized from oxidation state \(+2\) to \(+3\):

\[ \ce{Fe^2+ + 3OH^- -> Fe(OH)3(s) + e^-}. \]

Manganese is reduced from \(+7\) in permanganate to \(+4\) in manganese dioxide:

\[ \ce{MnO4^- + 2H2O + 3e^- -> MnO2(s) + 4OH^-}. \]

Multiplying the iron half-reaction by three, adding, and cancelling electrons and hydroxide gives

\[ \boxed{\ce{3Fe^2+ + MnO4^- + 5OH^- + 2H2O -> 3Fe(OH)3(s) + MnO2(s)}}. \]

The total charge on the left is \(3(2)-1-5=0\), equal to that on the right.

The species names and SMILES are:

Formula Name SMILES
\(\ce{Fe^2+}\) Iron(II) ion [Fe+2]
\(\ce{MnO4^-}\) Permanganate ion [O-][Mn](=O)(=O)=O
\(\ce{OH^-}\) Hydroxide ion [OH-]
\(\ce{H2O}\) Water O
\(\ce{Fe(OH)3}\) Iron(III) hydroxide [Fe+3].[OH-].[OH-].[OH-]
\(\ce{MnO2}\) Manganese(IV) oxide, or manganese dioxide [Mn+4].[O-2].[O-2]

For the two precipitates, the disconnected SMILES represent formal ionic formula units. They do not describe the extended solid structures or metal coordination geometries.

6.4

Hydroxide removes a proton from hydrogen carbonate:

\[ \boxed{\ce{HCO3^- + OH^- -> CO3^2- + H2O}}. \]

This is an acid–base reaction; carbon remains in oxidation state \(+4\).

Hydrogen carbonate, also called bicarbonate, \(\ce{HCO3^-}\), has SMILES O=C(O)[O-]. Carbonate, \(\ce{CO3^2-}\), has SMILES O=C([O-])[O-]. These SMILES show individual resonance representations; the carbonate ion is planar, with equivalent oxygen positions in the free ion.

6.5

Here X is a halogen and is independent of the label X in Part A.

Among the hydrogen halides:

  • Hydrogen fluoride, \(\ce{HF}\), SMILES [H]F, has an unusually high boiling point because of hydrogen bonding.
  • Hydrogen chloride, \(\ce{HCl}\), SMILES [H]Cl, has the lowest boiling point.
  • Hydrogen bromide, \(\ce{HBr}\), SMILES [H]Br, and hydrogen iodide, \(\ce{HI}\), SMILES [H]I, have stronger dispersion interactions than hydrogen chloride.

Thus,

\[ \boxed{X=\ce{Cl}}. \]

To identify the odd-electron compound A, let it contain \(p\) chlorine atoms and \(q\) oxygen atoms. Using the displayed reaction scheme, conservation of sodium gives \(z=x\). Conservation of chlorine and oxygen then gives

\[ 2+x=py+z\quad\Rightarrow\quad py=2, \qquad 2x=qy. \]

An odd total number of valence electrons requires \(7p+6q\) to be odd, so \(p\) is odd. Since \(py=2\), this gives

\[ p=1,\qquad y=2,\qquad q=x=z. \]

The requirement of more than two atoms gives \(q\ge2\). The coefficient bound gives

\[ x+y+z=2q+2\le7, \]

so \(q=2\). Hence A is chlorine dioxide:

\[ \boxed{\ce{Cl2 + 2NaClO2 -> 2ClO2 + 2NaCl}}, \qquad x+y+z=6\le7. \]

The reactants and products are chlorine, \(\ce{Cl2}\), SMILES ClCl; sodium chlorite, \(\ce{NaClO2}\), SMILES [Na+].[O-]Cl=O; chlorine dioxide, \(\ce{ClO2}\), SMILES O=[Cl]=O; and sodium chloride, \(\ce{NaCl}\), SMILES [Na+].[Cl-].

Chlorine dioxide has

\[ 7+2(6)=19 \]

valence electrons. For the requested zero-formal-charge Lewis structure, place chlorine centrally, with a double bond to each oxygen. Give each oxygen two lone pairs, and give chlorine one lone pair and one unpaired electron.

The formal charges are

\[ \operatorname{FC}(\ce{Cl}) =7-3-\frac82=0, \qquad \operatorname{FC}(\ce{O}) =6-4-\frac42=0. \]

The molecule is bent. The SMILES does not display the lone pairs or the bond angle; the electron placement above specifies the requested Lewis representation.

6.6

The volatile solid consisting of diatomic molecules is iodine, \(\ce{I2}\), SMILES II. Therefore,

\[ Z=\ce{I}. \]

Iodine has atomic number 53, so the element with one more proton is xenon, \(\ce{Xe}\), atomic number 54, which is a gas under standard conditions.

The pyramidal compound is xenon trioxide, \(\ce{XeO3}\), SMILES O=[Xe](=O)=O. Its xenon center has three bonding regions and one lone pair, giving a trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry. Therefore,

\[ G=\ce{O}. \]

This also satisfies the diatomic-element clue: oxygen occurs as dioxygen, \(\ce{O2}\), SMILES O=O. That simple SMILES does not encode dioxygen’s triplet electronic state.

The compound containing hydrogen, oxygen, and iodine with iodine in oxidation state \(+1\) is hypoiodous acid, \(\ce{HOI}\), SMILES [H]OI:

\[ (+1)_{\ce{H}}+(-2)_{\ce{O}}+(+1)_{\ce{I}}=0. \]

Oxygen is more electronegative than iodine, so hydrogen bonds to oxygen. The requested drawing is therefore \(\ce{H-O-I}\), bent at oxygen. Oxygen has two lone pairs, and iodine has three lone pairs.

\[ \boxed{G=\ce{O},\qquad Z=\ce{I},\qquad D=\ce{HOI}}. \]

6.7

The mass number stays at 59, while the atomic number increases from 26 to 27. This identifies beta-minus decay:

\[ 59=59+0,\qquad 26=27-1. \]

The emitted beta particle is an electron. Of the listed choices, gamma radiation supplies the second emission with zero charge and zero mass number, corresponding to de-excitation of the daughter nucleus.

Thus, in the schematic notation of the question,

\[ \ce{^{59}_{26}Fe -> ^{59}_{27}Co + ^{0}_{-1}e + \gamma}. \]

Mark beta and gamma. Physically, beta-minus decay also emits an electron antineutrino, \(\bar{\nu}_e\), which the problem’s schematic omits.

6.8

For an initially pure sample containing \(N_0\) iron-59 nuclei, after \(n\) half-lives,

\[ N_{\ce{Fe}}=\frac{N_0}{2^n}. \]

The number of cobalt-59 nuclei formed is

\[ N_{\ce{Co}}=N_0-\frac{N_0}{2^n}. \]

The mole ratio equals the ratio of nucleus counts, so

\[ \frac{N_{\ce{Co}}}{N_{\ce{Fe}}} =\frac{N_0-N_0/2^n}{N_0/2^n} =2^n-1=15. \]

Therefore,

\[ 2^n=16,\qquad n=4, \]

and

\[ \boxed{t_{1/2}=\frac{178\ \mathrm{days}}{4}=44.5\ \mathrm{days}}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.