CHEMISTRY LABORATORY

Oxidation States of Vanadium

Aim
1. To investigate the chemistry of vanadium
2. To apply a knowledge of electrode potentials to the reaction
3. To prepare some vanadium compounds in their less common oxidation states
Materials
Eye protection, boiling tube with bung, test tube rack, test tube, small beaker, ammonium
vandate(V), filter paper
Apparatus
2 moldm-3 NaOH, 1.0 moldm-3 H2SO4, granulated zinc, concentrated HNO3,
Method

Dissolve 1g of ammonium vanadate (V) (NH4VO3) in 10cm3 of 2 moldm-3 sodium hydroxide

solution in a boiling tube. Then add 20cm3 of 1.0 moldm-3 sulphuric acid. This solution
contains dioxovanadium (V) ions, VO2+, in acid solution
VO3-(aq) + 2H+(aq) VO2+(aq) + H2O(l)
Now add a few pieces granulated zinc to the mixture. Close the boiling tube with a rubber
bung and shake steadily until no further changes occur. Remove the bung to release
pressure from time to time.
When no further colour change occur, filter the mixture to obtain 5cm3 of the final solution.
Now add concentrated nitric acid drop by drop to the 5cm3 of filtrate, shaking carefully.
Describe what happens.
Results

Ion VO2+ VO2+ V3+ V2+

Name Dioxovanadium(V) Oxovanadium(IV) Vanadium (III) Vanadium (II)
ion ion ion ion
Oxidation
state
Colour

Discussion
1. The electronic structure of vanadium is (Ar) 3d34s2. Write the electronic structures of
V+, V2+, and V3+. (Remember that electrons will be lost from the 4s sub-shell before
the 3d subshell.)
2. Which of these ions has the most stable electronic structures?
3. Vanadium (III) compounds are much more common than vanadium(II) and
vanadium(I) compounds. What factors might be responsible for this?
4. The standard electrode potentials for the reactions involved are:

a. Explain why zinc is capable of reducing VO2+ to V2+

b. Which of the stages in the reduction of vanadium(V) to vanadium (II) would you
expect to be achieved least readily? Explain your answer.
5. when the concentrated nitric acid is added dropwise to the filtered mixture, to which
state does nitric acid oxidise vanadium(II)?
6. Do your results agree with the standard electrode potentials above and that for
nitric acid below? Explain.
NO3- + 2H+ + e NO2 + H2O Eo = +0.80V