IChO 2018 · Theory problem 4

Column chromatography of radioactive copper

\(\ce{^{64}Cu}\) for positron emission tomography is prepared by the bombardment of a zinc target with deuterium nuclei (further referred to as the activated target).

4.1 Write down the balanced equation for the \(\ce{^{64}Zn}\) nucleus bombardment with deuterium nuclei, giving \(\ce{^{64}Cu}\). Specify the corresponding atomic and mass numbers of all species. Disregard the charges.

The activated target is dissolved in concentrated hydrochloric acid (\(\ce{HCl (aq)}\)) to give a mixture containing \(\ce{Cu^2+}\) and \(\ce{Zn^2+}\) ions and their respective chlorido complexes.

4.2 Calculate the mole fraction of negatively charged copper species with respect to the amount of copper prepared by zinc target activation. Assume \([\ce{Cl-}] = 4\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\). For the overall complexation constants, \(\beta\), see Table 1.

Before you start the calculation, write down the charges in the upper right boxes:

Figure 1

Table 1. Overall complexation constants \(\beta\) of \(\ce{Cu}\) species (charges were omitted in the formula).

\[ \beta_i=\frac{[\ce{CuCl_i}]}{[\ce{Cu}]\times[\ce{Cl}]^i} \]

\(i\) in \(\ce{[CuCl_i]}\) 1 2 3 4
\(\beta_i\) 2.36 1,49 0.690 0.055

The mixture containing \(\ce{Cu^2+}\) and \(\ce{Zn^2+}\) ions and their respective chlorido complexes was separated with an anion exchange resin. Dry resin in \(\ce{OH-}\) form was dispersed in water and the suspension was transferred into a column. To occupy all sites with \(\ce{Cl-}\) ions (i.e. to obtain resin in a \(\ce{Cl-}\) form), the resin was washed with hydrochloric acid and then with deionized water to wash out all the unbound \(\ce{Cl-}\) ions.

4.3 Everything was initially at laboratory temperature before washing with hydrochloric acid. Does the column temperature change during the washing with hydrochloric acid?

☐ No.

☐ Yes, the temperature decreases.

☐ Yes, the temperature increases.

The mixture containing \(\ce{Cu^2+}\) and \(\ce{Zn^2+}\) ions and their respective chlorido complexes was transferred onto the resin-filled column. Hydrochloric acid solution was used as an eluent.

Using the simple experimental formula below, you can calculate quantities that determine average elution properties of both copper species and zinc species on the column.

The retention volume \(V_{\mathrm R}\) (the mobile phase volume at which 50% of the compound has been eluted from the column) can be calculated as follows:

\[ V_{\mathrm R} =D_{\mathrm g}\times m_{\mathrm{resin,dry,OH\ form}}+V_0 \]

4.4 Using the average mass distribution coefficients \(D_{\mathrm g}\) (\(D_{\mathrm g}(\ce{Cu}\text{ species})=17.4\ \mathrm{cm^3\,g^{-1}}\), \(D_{\mathrm g}(\ce{Zn}\text{ species})=78.5\ \mathrm{cm^3\,g^{-1}}\)), calculate the retention volumes \(V_{\mathrm R}\) in \(\mathrm{cm^3}\) of both copper species and zinc species. The mass of dry resin in \(\ce{OH-}\) form \(m_{\mathrm{resin,dry,OH\ form}}=3.72\ \mathrm g\) and the void volume of a column \(V_0=4.93\ \mathrm{cm^3}\).

(If you cannot find the answer, use \(V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Cu}\text{ species})=49.9\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) and \(V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Zn}\text{ species})=324\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) for further calculations.)

Using the simple experimental formula, separation of two sets of species, A and B, can be considered complete if

\[ V_{0.001}(\mathbf A)-V_{0.999}(\mathbf B)>10V_{\mathrm c} \]

where \(V_{0.001}\) is the mobile phase volume at which 0.1% of A has been eluted from the column, and \(V_{0.999}\) is the mobile phase volume at which 99.9% of B has been eluted from the column.

\[ V_{0.001}(\mathbf A) =V_{\mathrm R}(\mathbf A)\times \left(1-6.91\sqrt{d_{\mathrm p}/L_{\mathrm c}}\right) \]

\[ V_{0.001}(\mathbf B) =V_{\mathrm R}(\mathbf B)\times \left(1-6.91\sqrt{d_{\mathrm p}/L_{\mathrm c}}\right) \]

\[ V_{0.999}(\mathbf B) =2V_{\mathrm R}(\mathbf B)-V_{0.001}(\mathbf B) \]

4.5 Based on a calculation, decide whether copper species were separated completely from zinc species. The volume of the column filled with the swollen resin \(V_{\mathrm c}=10.21\ \mathrm{cm^3}\), the resin particle diameter \(d_{\mathrm p}=0.125\ \mathrm{mm}\), and the height of the wet resin in a swollen state in the column \(L_{\mathrm c}=13.0\ \mathrm{cm}\).

4.6 Calculate the theoretical value of the total ion exchange mass capacity of the dry resin used in this problem, \(Q_{\mathrm{m,theor}}\), in \(\mathrm{mmol\,g^{-1}}\). Consider tetralkylammonium groups were the only ones responsible for ion exchange of the resin. No other nitrogen containing groups were present. The mass fraction of nitrogen in the dry resin was 4.83%.

(If you cannot find the answer, use \(Q_{\mathrm{m,theor}}=4.83\ \mathrm{mmol\,g^{-1}}\) for further calculations.)

In reality, not all tetraalkylammonium groups are involved in the ion exchange. To determine the total ion exchange volume capacity, \(Q_{\mathrm v}\), the column filled with 3.72 g dry resin converted to the \(\ce{Cl-}\) form was washed with the excess of sodium sulfate solution. The effluent was collected in a \(500\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) volumetric flask, which was then filled with water to the mark. An aliquot of \(100\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) was potentiometrically titrated with \(0.1027\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}\) silver nitrate. The silver nitrate solution volume at the equivalence point was \(22.20\ \mathrm{cm^3}\). The volume of the column filled with the swollen resin, \(V_{\mathrm c}\), was \(10.21\ \mathrm{cm^3}\).

4.7 Calculate the \(Q_{\mathrm v}\) of the swollen resin in mmol of active tetraalkylammonium groups per \(\mathrm{cm^3}\) of the swollen resin.

(If you cannot find the answer, use \(Q_{\mathrm v}=1.00\ \mathrm{mmol\,cm^{-3}}\) for further calculations.)

4.8 Calculate the mole fraction (\(x\)) of the tetraalkylammonium groups actively involved in the ion exchange.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 4.1 \[ \boxed{\ce{^{64}_{30}Zn + ^{2}_{1}H -> ^{64}_{29}Cu + 2 ^{1}_{1}H}} \] Two protons are emitted.

  • 4.2 Fill the boxes, from left to right, with \(2+,\ +,\ 0,\ -,\ 2-\). The mole fraction of negatively charged copper species is \[ \boxed{x_-=0.629\quad(62.9\%)}. \]

  • 4.3 Select “Yes, the temperature increases.”

  • 4.4 \[ \boxed{V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Cu})=69.7\ \mathrm{cm^3},\qquad V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Zn})=297\ \mathrm{cm^3}}. \]

  • 4.5 Yes, separation is complete according to the given criterion: \[ V_{0.001}(\ce{Zn})-V_{0.999}(\ce{Cu}) =148.7\ \mathrm{cm^3}>102.1\ \mathrm{cm^3}. \]

  • 4.6 \[ \boxed{Q_{\mathrm{m,theor}}=3.45\ \mathrm{mmol\,g^{-1}}}. \]

  • 4.7 \[ \boxed{Q_{\mathrm v}=1.117\ \mathrm{mmol\,cm^{-3}}}. \]

  • 4.8 \[ \boxed{x=0.889\quad(88.9\%)}. \]

Solution

4.1

Both the mass number \(A\) and atomic number \(Z\) must balance. The reactants have

\[ A_{\mathrm{total}}=64+2=66,\qquad Z_{\mathrm{total}}=30+1=31. \]

After formation of \(\ce{^{64}_{29}Cu}\), the remaining particles must therefore carry a total mass number of \(2\) and atomic number of \(2\). These are two protons:

\[ \boxed{\ce{^{64}_{30}Zn + ^{2}_{1}H -> ^{64}_{29}Cu + 2 ^{1}_{1}H}}. \]

Species Name Atomic number \(Z\) Mass number \(A\)
\(\ce{^{64}_{30}Zn}\) Zinc-64 nucleus 30 64
\(\ce{^{2}_{1}H}\) Deuteron 1 2
\(\ce{^{64}_{29}Cu}\) Copper-64 nucleus 29 64
\(\ce{^{1}_{1}H}\) Proton 1 1

The isotope atom SMILES are zinc-64 [64Zn] and copper-64 [64Cu]; the deuteron and proton can be represented as [2H+] and [1H+]. The metal SMILES identify isotopes as atoms; they do not represent the bare nuclei or encode the nuclear reaction.

4.2

Copper remains in oxidation state \(+2\). Each chlorido ligand contributes charge \(-1\), so a complex containing \(i\) chlorido ligands has charge \(2-i\).

Thus the boxes should contain, from left to right,

\[ \boxed{2+,\quad +,\quad 0,\quad -,\quad 2-}. \]

The species and their relative concentrations are:

Species Name SMILES Concentration relative to \([\ce{Cu^2+}]\)
\(\ce{Cu^2+}\) Copper(II) ion [Cu+2] \(1\)
\(\ce{[CuCl]^+}\) Chloridocopper(II) ion [Cu+2]<-[Cl-] \(2.36(4)=9.44\)
\(\ce{[CuCl2]}\) Dichloridocopper(II) [Cu+2](<-[Cl-])<-[Cl-] \(1.49(4)^2=23.84\)
\(\ce{[CuCl3]^-}\) Trichloridocuprate(II) ion [Cu+2](<-[Cl-])(<-[Cl-])<-[Cl-] \(0.690(4)^3=44.16\)
\(\ce{[CuCl4]^2-}\) Tetrachloridocuprate(II) ion [Cu+2](<-[Cl-])(<-[Cl-])(<-[Cl-])<-[Cl-] \(0.055(4)^4=14.08\)

Here chloride is \(\ce{Cl-}\), SMILES [Cl-]. The arrows in these extended SMILES denote ligand-to-metal dative bonds. Solvent ligands are omitted, as in the problem; these representations do not establish coordination geometries. The other uncomplexed metal ion in the mixture is zinc(II), \(\ce{Zn^2+}\), SMILES [Zn+2].

Because the given constants are overall complexation constants,

\[ c_{\mathrm{Cu,total}} =[\ce{Cu^2+}] \left(1+\sum_{i=1}^{4}\beta_i[\ce{Cl-}]^i\right). \]

Every species contains one copper atom. Consequently, the required mole fraction is the sum of the concentrations of the two anionic complexes divided by the total copper concentration:

\[ \begin{aligned} x_- &=\frac{[\ce{[CuCl3]^-}]+[\ce{[CuCl4]^2-}]} {c_{\mathrm{Cu,total}}}\\[2mm] &=\frac{0.690(4)^3+0.055(4)^4} {1+2.36(4)+1.49(4)^2+0.690(4)^3+0.055(4)^4}\\[2mm] &=\frac{44.16+14.08}{1+9.44+23.84+44.16+14.08}\\ &=\frac{58.24}{92.52}=0.6294855. \end{aligned} \]

Therefore,

\[ \boxed{x_-=0.629\approx62.9\%}. \]

4.3

During conversion of the resin to its chloride form, chloride becomes the counterion at the exchange sites. Hydrogen ions from hydrochloric acid neutralize the hydroxide counterions:

\[ \ce{H+ + OH- -> H2O}. \]

This neutralization is exothermic, so the column temperature increases.

The relevant species are the hydrogen ion [H+], hydroxide ion [OH-], and water O. Aqueous hydrochloric acid is represented by its dissociated ions, [H+].[Cl-].

Select “Yes, the temperature increases.”

4.4

Apply the supplied relation separately to the copper and zinc species:

\[ V_{\mathrm R}=D_{\mathrm g}m_{\mathrm{resin,dry,OH\ form}}+V_0. \]

For copper,

\[ \begin{aligned} V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Cu}) &=(17.4\ \mathrm{cm^3\,g^{-1}})(3.72\ \mathrm g) +4.93\ \mathrm{cm^3}\\ &=69.658\ \mathrm{cm^3}\\ &\approx\boxed{69.7\ \mathrm{cm^3}}. \end{aligned} \]

For zinc,

\[ \begin{aligned} V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Zn}) &=(78.5\ \mathrm{cm^3\,g^{-1}})(3.72\ \mathrm g) +4.93\ \mathrm{cm^3}\\ &=296.95\ \mathrm{cm^3}\\ &\approx\boxed{297\ \mathrm{cm^3}}. \end{aligned} \]

Thus copper elutes earlier and zinc later.

4.5

The later-eluting species must be identified as A, so

\[ \mathbf A=\text{zinc species},\qquad \mathbf B=\text{copper species}. \]

First express the particle diameter and column height in the same units:

\[ d_{\mathrm p}=0.125\ \mathrm{mm}=0.0125\ \mathrm{cm}, \qquad L_{\mathrm c}=13.0\ \mathrm{cm}. \]

Define the dimensionless factor

\[ f=6.91\sqrt{\frac{d_{\mathrm p}}{L_{\mathrm c}}} =6.91\sqrt{\frac{0.0125}{13.0}} =0.214270. \]

Using the unrounded retention volumes from 4.4,

\[ \begin{aligned} V_{0.001}(\ce{Zn}) &=296.95(1-0.214270)\ \mathrm{cm^3}\\ &=233.3225\ \mathrm{cm^3}, \end{aligned} \]

and

\[ \begin{aligned} V_{0.001}(\ce{Cu}) &=69.658(1-0.214270)\ \mathrm{cm^3}\\ &=54.7324\ \mathrm{cm^3}. \end{aligned} \]

Therefore,

\[ \begin{aligned} V_{0.999}(\ce{Cu}) &=2V_{\mathrm R}(\ce{Cu})-V_{0.001}(\ce{Cu})\\ &=2(69.658)-54.7324\\ &=84.5836\ \mathrm{cm^3}. \end{aligned} \]

The separation gap is

\[ V_{0.001}(\ce{Zn})-V_{0.999}(\ce{Cu}) =233.3225-84.5836 =148.7389\ \mathrm{cm^3}. \]

The required minimum is

\[ 10V_{\mathrm c}=10(10.21)=102.1\ \mathrm{cm^3}. \]

Since

\[ \boxed{148.7\ \mathrm{cm^3}>102.1\ \mathrm{cm^3}}, \]

the separation is complete according to the supplied experimental criterion.

4.6

A tetraalkylammonium exchange site, \(\ce{R4N+}\), contains one nitrogen atom and carries one positive charge. Its generic structural SMILES is [*][N+]([*])([*])[*], where each wildcard denotes an unspecified alkyl substituent; the substituents include attachment to the resin. The exact polymer structure is not given.

Since all nitrogen belongs to these groups, one mole of nitrogen corresponds to one mole of theoretical exchange sites.

Using the standard nitrogen molar mass \(M(\ce{N})=14.01\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\),

\[ \begin{aligned} Q_{\mathrm{m,theor}} &=\frac{w_{\mathrm N}}{M(\ce{N})}\\ &=\frac{0.0483}{14.01\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}}\\ &=0.00344754\ \mathrm{mol\,g^{-1}}\\ &=\boxed{3.45\ \mathrm{mmol\,g^{-1}}}. \end{aligned} \]

This is the capacity if every tetraalkylammonium group participates in ion exchange.

4.7

Excess sulfate displaces the exchangeable chloride counterions. Each active tetraalkylammonium group initially holds one chloride ion, so

\[ n_{\mathrm{active\ groups}}=n_{\mathrm{displaced\ chloride}}. \]

The chloride is determined by precipitation with silver(I):

\[ \ce{Ag+(aq) + Cl-(aq) -> AgCl(s)}. \]

The stoichiometric ratio is \(1:1\).

The relevant species are sulfate ion [O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-], silver(I) ion [Ag+], and silver chloride [Ag+].[Cl-]. The reagents are sodium sulfate [Na+].[Na+].[O-]S(=O)(=O)[O-] and silver nitrate [Ag+].[O-][N+](=O)[O-]. These dotted SMILES identify ionic components; silver chloride forms an extended solid lattice.

The amount of chloride in the \(100\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) aliquot is

\[ \begin{aligned} n_{\mathrm{aliquot}}(\ce{Cl-}) &=c(\ce{AgNO3})V_{\mathrm{eq}}\\ &=(0.1027\ \mathrm{mol\,dm^{-3}}) (22.20\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{dm^3})\\ &=2.27994\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}\\ &=2.27994\ \mathrm{mmol}. \end{aligned} \]

The entire \(500\ \mathrm{cm^3}\) solution contains five times this amount:

\[ n_{\mathrm{active\ groups}} =\frac{500}{100}(2.27994) =11.3997\ \mathrm{mmol}. \]

Hence the capacity per unit swollen-resin volume is

\[ \begin{aligned} Q_{\mathrm v} &=\frac{n_{\mathrm{active\ groups}}}{V_{\mathrm c}}\\ &=\frac{11.3997\ \mathrm{mmol}}{10.21\ \mathrm{cm^3}}\\ &=\boxed{1.117\ \mathrm{mmol\,cm^{-3}}}. \end{aligned} \]

4.8

The total amount of tetraalkylammonium groups in the original \(3.72\ \mathrm g\) of dry resin is

\[ \begin{aligned} n_{\mathrm{total\ groups}} &=m_{\mathrm{resin}}Q_{\mathrm{m,theor}}\\ &=(3.72\ \mathrm g) (3.447537\ \mathrm{mmol\,g^{-1}})\\ &=12.82484\ \mathrm{mmol}. \end{aligned} \]

The active fraction is therefore

\[ \begin{aligned} x &=\frac{n_{\mathrm{active\ groups}}}{n_{\mathrm{total\ groups}}}\\ &=\frac{Q_{\mathrm v}V_{\mathrm c}} {Q_{\mathrm{m,theor}}m_{\mathrm{resin}}}\\ &=\frac{11.3997}{12.82484}\\ &=0.8888766. \end{aligned} \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{x=0.889,\quad\text{or }88.9\%}. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.