CHEM1043 General Chemistry II

Assignment 2 (Topics 3 and 4)

Assignment 2 (15% of total course mark) is given to you on 10 Nov 2022 (Mon). Please put your
work on A4- or F4-sized white paper (blank or lined) and scan your handwritten work into one
single pdf file. Name the file in the format of 1043A2_<your student number>, eg.
1043A2_3035000000. Submit the file through Moodle Assignment by 6:00 pm on 5 Nov 2022
(Sat).

Please feel free to search for your lecture notes, textbook and trustable internet source for extra
information if you think the data provided in the questions is not enough to solve the questions,
and the list of physical constants and the periodic table posted on Moodle for
data/constants/equations as necessary.

Section A: Solutions and their properties [63 marks]

(1) Answer the following sub-questions about drugs synthesis. (11 marks)

(a) Meropenem is a last resort drug to treat multi-resistance bacterial infection. Based on the
chemical structure of meropenem, choose and explain which is the best solvent pair from
A-D for recrystallize meropenem and explain why other solvent pair do not work.
(10 marks)

Figure 1. Chemical structure of meropenem

Solvent pair Dissolving Solvent Addition Solvent

A Dichloromethane (DCM) Diethyl ether
B Water Diethyl ether
C Water Acetone
D Water Methanamide
Table 1. Solvent pairs A-D and given that the dielectric constant of methanamide is 111 at room
temperature and pressure.

Page 1 of 6
(b) High boiling point solvents like N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF, boiling point: 153 °C), are
often used for drugs synthesis. A meropenem ester prodrug was synthesized in order to
improve the oral bioavailability of meropenem with the use of DMF. However, meropenem
are highly heat-sensitive, boiling of DMF at its boiling point can destroy the structure of
meropenem. Based on the Txy diagram of DMF and cyclohexane, explain whether 20%
cyclohexane in DMF (mole fraction) can keep the temperature of the solvent removal
process always below 105°C (378K). (5 marks)

Figure 2. The synthesis of meropenem-ester prodrug.

Figure 3. Txy diagram of cyclohexane-DMF mixture.

(A Txy diagram/curve represents a binary mixture, the compositions in this diagram are expressed as
mole fraction, pink line, blue line and black line are composition curves predicted from different model,
you can use any color of the liquid composition and vapor composition to answer the question.)

(c) Based on all the above data, suggest a method to keep the whole distillation process below
100°C. (5 marks)

Page 2 of 6
(2) Answer the following sub-questions about carbon dioxide solubility. (15 marks)

(a) Given that molar volume of CO2 at stp and rtp are 22.4 dm3/mol and 24 dm3/mol respectively.
Find out the volume of two moles of CO2 occupy at 40°C. (5 marks)

(b) Given that the solubility of CO2 in water at 40 °C and 1 atm is 0.456ml of CO2 /1L of water,
find out the Henry’s constant of CO2 at 40 °C and 1 atm. (4 marks)

(c) Find out the volume lost of CO2 in 250ml of carbonated water at 20 °C compare with 40 °C.
Given that solubility of CO2 at 20 °C is 0.1606g CO2 / 100ml water. Assume that water do not
evaporate. (6 marks)

Figure 4. Schematic diagram of CO2 lost by comparing 20 °C with 40 °C.

(3) Answer the following sub-questions about sugar. (14 marks)

(a) Below figure show a linear relationship between boiling point of sucrose-water solution
with the molality of surcose in water. Explain the trend based on Raoult’s law. (6 marks)

Page 3 of 6
Figure 5. Relationship between boiling point and molality of sucrose.

(b) In order to do hard boiled candy, a chief dissolved 180g of surcose in 120g of water, find out
the boiling point of this solution using Figure 5. Relationship between boiling point and
molality of sucrose. (2 marks)

(c) A chief dissolved 180g of surcose into 120g of water to make hard boiled candy (glass candy).
The cooking process involve a boiling phase (heat from room tempeature to boil and continue
to heat for a while) and the cooling phase (cool from boiling to room tempeature or sometimes
even lower to 0 °C). Based on all the data in question 3 and the below phase diagram of
surcose solution, explain why it is recommended to keep mininium strring once the solution
start to boil and also in the cooling stage. (6 marks)

Figure 6. Phase diagram of sucrose-water solution.

Page 4 of 6
Figure 7. A picture of hard-boiled candy (glass candy) with pigment as additive.

(4) There are two solvent mixtures with unknown ratio. Solvent A contains x mol of n-hexane
and 3 mol of n-pentane. Solvent B contains y mol of n-heptane and 5 mol of n-hexane. Half
of solvent A was mixed with solvent B, the total vapor pressure was measured to be 150
torr, then the remaining solvent A was all added to the A+B mixture, and the total vapor
pressure was measured to be 210 torr. Given that the vapor pressure of pure n-pentane is 420
torr, vapor pressure of pure n-hexane is 124 torr, vapor pressure of pure n-heptane is 36 torr.
Find x and y. (14 marks)

Section B: Solubility and complex-ion equilibria [37 marks]

(5) An environemtal aqeous samples has 515 μg/mL of Gallium (III) ion and 323 μg/mL of
Mecury (II) ion, NaOH solution is slowly dropped into the sample. (12 marks)

(a) Determine which metal ion would precipitate first? Show your reasoning, including the
calculations involved. Given that Ksp for Hg(OH)2 and Ga(OH)3 are 3.6×10-28 and 7.28×10-36
respectvely. (7 marks)

(b) Comment if complete separation of Hg2+ and Ga3+ is feasible by this fractional precipitation.
Explain your answer. (5 marks)

(6) Answer the following sub-questions about Bismuth (III) salts solubility. (25 marks)

(a) Determine whether it is possible to prepare a 2×10-14 M solution of Bi(OH)3 or not? Given
that Ksp of Bi(OH)3 is 3.2×10-40. Show your reasoning, including the calculations involved.
(3 marks)

(b) 1 mL of 0.002325% w/w NH3 solution was added to 2 mL of 2×10-14 M Bi(OH)3 solution.
Given that the density of 0.00235% w/w NH3 is 0.999 g/ml, and Kb of NH3 is 1.8×10-5. Predict

Page 5 of 6
 whether precipitation would happen or not based on calculation. (9 marks)

(c) Determine the concentration of Bismuth ion and sulfide ion in solution. Given that Ksp for
Bismuth (III) sulfide is 1.533×10-72. (4 marks)

(d) Bi(III) ion is known to undergo rapid hydrolysis at pH>8 to form Bi(OH)3. Assume no H2S
formation due to dilute solution, Determine the solubility of Bismuth (III) sulfide at pH=9.
Given self ioization constant of water (Kw) is 1.01×10-14. (9 marks)

Page 6 of 6