SELECTED REDOX REACTION

J.T. LIBREA1 1DEPARTMENT OF MATERIALS, METALLURGICAL AND MINING ENGINEERING, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES DATE PERFORMED: JANUARY 12, 2013 INSTRUCTORS NAME: SHARINE NOELLE BENDULO

DISCUSSION The experiment involved the reduction-oxidation reaction of simple compounds and complexes. It also included the effect of different media and additional compound to the redox reaction. First to investigate was the reaction of sodium sulfite and potassium permanganate in different media. The results showed that the resulting compounds were different in each media. In neutral media, the result was colorless solution with brown precipitation. This showed that there was manganese dioxide formation which was the brown precipitate. So, the reaction undergoes; Reduction Half-Reaction: 2(3e-+2H2O(l) + MnO4-(aq) MnO2(s) + 4OH-(aq)) Oxidation Half-Reaction: 3(2OH-(aq) + SO3-2(aq) SO4-2(aq) + H2O(l) + 2e-) Net Ionic Equation: H2O(l) + 3SO3-2(aq) + 2MnO4-(aq) 2MnO2(s) + 3SO4-2(aq) + 2OH-(aq) The permanganate ion was reduced to manganese dioxide and the sulfite ion was oxidized into sulfate ion. In the next step, the same reaction was done but this time it happened in acidic media. After the reaction, the product formed was a colorless solution. By the resulting product, it can be presumed that there was formation of colorless soluble ions in the reaction. So the balance reaction was shown as; Reduction Half-Reaction: 2(5e-+8H+(aq) + MnO4-(aq) Mn2+(aq) + 4H2O(l)) Oxidation Half-Reaction: 5(H2O(l) + SO3-2(aq) SO4-2(aq) + 2H+(aq) + 2e-) Net Ionic Equation:

6H+(aq) + 5SO3-2(aq) + 2MnO4-(aq) 2Mn2+ (aq) + 5SO4-2(aq) + 3H2O(l) In the reaction, the oxidizing and reducing agent was the same as the previous reaction in neutral media. But this time, the product in the reduction half reaction was changed due to the present of hydronium ions in the experiment. So, instead of formation manganese dioxide, the permanganate ion was reduced into manganese (II) ion. In the oxidation half-reaction, same products were formed. Then, the last part of sulfite-permanganate reaction was with basic media. It resulted to green solution that showed that there was production of green soluble ions, MnO42+. Reduction Half-Reaction: 2(e- + MnO4-(aq) MnO42+(aq)) Oxidation Half-Reaction: 2OH-(aq) + SO3-2(aq) SO4-2(aq) + H2O(l) + 2eNet Ionic Equation: 2OH-(aq) + SO3-2(aq) + 2MnO4-(aq) 2MnO42+(aq) + SO4-2(aq) +H2O(l)

After the investigation of the effects of different media to the sulfite-permanganate system, the effect of zinc addition in reaction systems was then examined. First system was the reaction of ferric chloride and potassium thiocyanate, which resulted to blood-red solution. Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) (FeSCN)2+(aq) When zinc dust was slowly added in the system, it was observed that the solution changed in color and brownish precipitate was formed. The additional zinc displaced the iron ion in the blood-red complex and formed soluble zinc thiocyanate. Zn(s) + 2(FeSCN)2+(aq) Zn(SCN)2(aq) + 2Fe2+(aq) Zn(s) +2[Fe3+(aq) +SCN-(aq) ][Zn2+(aq)+2SCN-(aq) ] + 2Fe2+(aq) Zn(s) +2Fe3+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Fe2+(aq) The observations also denoted that there was a redox reaction happening in the system. Zinc displaced iron because it was more active and stronger reducing agent than iron. So, Zn reaction was the oxidation half-reaction and iron reaction was the reduction half-reaction. Reduction Half-Reaction: 2(e- + Fe3+(aq) Fe2+(aq)) Oxidation Half-Reaction: Zn(s) Zn2+(aq) + 2eNet Ionic Equation: Zn(s) +2Fe3+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + 2Fe2+(aq)

So, the changed in color was caused by the displacement of iron in the complex formed in the first step. As what was showed in the net ionic equation, all the products produced by the reaction were water soluble. In the result observed, there were precipitates formation. This may be cause by excess zinc dust that may further reduced the iron (II) ions in the system or remain unreacted. Reduction Half-Reaction: 2e- + Fe2+(aq) Fe(s) Oxidation Half-Reaction: Zn(s) Zn2+(aq) + 2eNet Ionic Equation: Zn(s) +Fe2+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + Fe(s) The next system was the reaction of ferric chloride and potassium ferrocyanide. The resulting product was a deep-blue solution and Prussian blue precipitate. The deep-blue solution was the soluble form of Prussian blue, K[Fe(Fe(CN)6)] which was made from reaction in the system. K+(aq) + Fe3+(aq) + [Fe(CN)6]4-(aq) K[Fe(Fe(CN)6)](aq) Excess in the amount of iron (III) ions caused the production of Prussian blue precipitate. It was because of the reaction; 4Fe3+(aq) + 3[Fe(CN)6]4-(aq) Fe4[Fe(Fe(CN)6)]3(s)