University of Guyana

Faculty of Natural Sciences

CHM 3201- Inorganic Chemistry 1

Lab # 1
The Preparation of Copper (i) Chloride

William Ross
13/0705/2470

Group members:

 Dayshawn Bililling

2014/03/24
ABSTRACT:

Sodium sulphite and copper (II) Chloride 2-hydrate was used to preparation a sample of Copper

(1) chloride. The aim was simply to produce a sample of copper (1) chloride from the reduction

of copper (II) chloride. 10g of Sodium sulphite in 50ml waster, was slowly added to solution if

copper (ii) chloride 2 –hydrate and. This resulting suspension was added to a 1 liter of water to

which 2ml of conc HCl and 1g of sodium sulphite was added. It was then stirred and allowed to

settle. The supernatant solution was then decanted and the precipitation washed onto a filter

paper with 500ml water containing 0.5g sodium sulphite and 1ml conc HCL then filtered with a

suction funnel. Careful attention was taken so as to ensure that the residue was always covered

with a layer of liquid. The sample was then washed five times with glacial acetic acid. Further

washing was performed whereby absolute alcohol and ether were individually used. The white

solid was then transferred to a watch glass and placed into the oven for 25 minutes. After it was

taken out, the white solid turned pale green. Group 3’s CuCl mass was recorded at be 5.41g ±

0.1g while the class average was calculated to be 5.47g. % yield for group 3 was calculated to be

69.53% while the average class yield was 70.34%. Since the yield was more than 50% it was

considered to be a good yield.

The purpose of this experiment was to synthesize a sample of Copper (1) Chloride using Copper

(ii) chloride, sodium sulphite and water. Copper (i) chloride is a white crystalline solid while

copper (ii) is green in colour. Nicknamed; Cuprous chloride which acts as a Lewis acid and serve

as a catalyst in numerous organic reaction. One such example is the halogenation of benzene.

CuCl would normally accepts electron.

It is sparingly soluble in water while extremely soluble in hydrochloric acid. CuCl has

0.0062g/100mL (20oC) solubility in water while its solubility product is 1.72 X 10-7. Normally it

is insoluble in ethanol and acetone.

Copper (I) Chloride is a white solid in its pure form. Copper(i) chloride was first synthesized in

the mid –seventeenth century by Robert Boyle from Mercury (ii) chloride and copper metal:

HgCl2 + 2 Cu → 2 CuCl + Hg. J.L Proust in 1799 constituted that there were two different

chlorides of copper; copper(ii) chlorides and copper (i) chlorides. He prepared copper (i) chloride

from heating copper (ii) chloride at red heat in the absence of air. This caused it to lose half of its

combined chlorine followed by removing the residual CuCl2 by washing with water.

It has an empirical formula of CuCl. Copper is a transition metal so it possesses various

oxidation states; in this case it has +1. Chlorine has an oxidation state of -1, so the -1 and +1

charges will cancel out. This forms an ionic bond between the copper and chlorine.

The solubility of this salt varies in the presence to H+ ions. In water, it is sparingly soluble but

very soluble in concentrated Hydrochloric acid. In some cases in which the CuCl sample

produced appears to be green in colour, means that it is contaminated. This green colour is due to

the presence of Copper(ii) Chloride.

Molecular mass of Copper(I) chloride is 98.99g/mol. The melting point is between 420oC –

430oC. The boiling point is 1490oC. Copper (i) chloride is formed by the reaction:

2 CuCl2+ Na2 SO 3 + H 2 O→ 2CuCl+ Na 2 SO 4 +2 HCl

Examining the equation, 2 moles of Copper (ii) chloride reacts with 1 mole of sodium sulphite

and 1 mole of water to produce 2 moles of Copper (i) Chloride, 1 moles of sodium sulphate and

2 moles of Hydrochloric acid.

The method was performed as per lab handout with the following modifications.

 Filter paper was used instead of the sinister glass

RESULTS:

Mass of Sodium Sulphite:

Mass of Sodium Sulphite =10.079 g

¿ 1.100 g

¿ 0.550 g

Mass of total Sodium Sulphite used =11.729 g

Mass of Copper (ii) chloride 2-hydrate:

Mass of Copper ( ii ) chloride=13.025 g

Mass of dry sample:

Mass of filtered paper=1.657 g

Mass of filtered paper +dry sample=6.192 g

Dry sample of CuCl=4.540 g

# of moles of CuCl2.H2O:

Molar mass of CuCl 2 . H 2 O=170.48 g /mol

Mass
¿ of moles=
Mass of 1 mole

Therefore,

13.025 g
¿ of moles of CuCl 2=
170.48 g/mol

¿ of moles of CuCl 2=0.076 mol

# of moles of Na2SO3:

Molar mass of N a 2 S O3=126.04 g/ mol

Mass of N a2 S O3 used ∈experiment =11.729 g

11.729 g
¿ of moles of N a 2 S O3=
126.04 g /mol

¿ of moles of N a 2 S O3=0.093 mol

So therefore, based the reaction equation, 2 mol of CuCl2 reacted to produce 2 mol of CuCl

which is the same as 1:1 mole ratio. So the number of moles of CuCl produce is 0.076 mol

Theoretical yield of CuCl:

Mass=¿ of moles ×molar mass

Therotical mass of CuCl=98.99 g /mol ×0.076 mol

Therotical mass of CuCl=7.523 g

Experimental yield
% yield= × 100 %
Theoretical Yield

4.540
% yield of CuCl= ×100 %
7.523

% yield of CuCl=60.348 %

Class mean of mass of sample obtained:

∑ xi
i=1
x=
N

6.012 g+ 6.275 g+ 6.340 g+ 4.540 g+ 5.394 g+2.090 g +8.403 g +5.590 g

44.644 g
x=
8

x=5.581 g

Class mean of % yield obtained:

∑ xi
i=1
x=
N

( 79.915+83.411+60.348+71.700+27.781+111.698+74.305 ) %
x=
8

593.434 %
x=
8

x=74.179 %
 Class Data

8.403
8
7.523 7.523 7.523 7.523 7.523 7.523 7.523 7.523
7

6.275 6.34
6.012 6
5.59
5.394
5
4.54
4

2 2.09

1 111.697%
79.915% 83.411% 84.275% 71.700% 74.305%
60.348%
27.781%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Group # Mass obtained (g) Theoretical Mass (g) % Yield

Figure 1: Pooled class data

DISCUSSION:

2CuCl2.2H2O + Na2SO3  2CuCl + Na2SO4 + 2HCL

The theoretically mass was calculated to be 7.781g. After the experiment and the oven drying

was performed, group 1 produced 5.55g, group 2 produced 5.46g and group 3 yielded 5.41.

Upon examination of these masses, it can be seen that these values are very similar to each other

and did not deviated much. However group 1 produced approximately 0.1 g more than the
others. Comparing them to the theoretical mass the feel short of approximately 2.0g. The mean

mass was calculated to be 5.470g. This also deviated by 2.311g.

71.328%, 70.171% and 69.528% was found for the yields of the respective groups. Once again

group 1 produced the highest yield followed by group 2 then finally group 3. These percentages

did not differ from each other significantly. The average mean was calculated to be 70.34%. This

showed a 30% deviation. Based upon this, it can be estimated to be a good yield.

A limiting reagent is one which possesses the least number of moles and hence used up faster.

The limiting reagent was identified to be copper (ii) chloride, since it resulted in the least number

of moles.

The product, copper (i) chloride was able to be isolated through the process of filtration. During

the filtration, the crystals obtained was washed several times with glacial acetic acid so as to

obtain a pure white sample. After some time, the white sample turned light green. Accounting for

this is that the copper (i) chloride was oxidised to copper (ii) chloride. This is due to the

formation of basic copper (ii) chloride, CuCl2.3Cu(OH)2. Trying to prevent this by not allowing

any of the washing liquids to run through the filter completely; so as to prevent the exposure to

oxygen. As the results showed, prevention was not effectively done. The purity of the sample

could have not been measured since the theoretical melting point was obtained at 420-430oC and

the laboratory does not have a thermometer with this range.

Sources of errors:

 Not effectively covering the sample so as to prevent it from oxidizing to CuCl2 during the

filtration process.
  Malfunctioning electronic scale – it was noted that during the experiment that the scale

was reading at different decimal places.. This may have affected the masses somewhat.

 Drying process – drying of the sample was only performed once. This may have caused

and increase in the mass of the sample which would adversely affects the other

calculations.

Improvements:

 Since the experiment is so susceptible to oxidation, it should be performed in a vacuum

or air tight environment. This would prevent CuCl converting to CuCl2.

 Direct reduction of CuCl2 should be performed. Since other transitions metal can reduce

CuCl2 to CuCl they should also be considered; zinc, tin, etc.

 Instead of a buchner funnel used to filter the solution, a vacuum pump should be

implemented. This filters the sample at a faster rate and more effectively.

Uses of CuCl:

 Fungicide

 Used as catalyst in many organic reactions

CONCLUSION:

Group 3’s obtained a CuCl mass of 5.41g ± 0.1g.

The mean mass obtained by the class was 5.47g ± 0.1g

Group 3’s % yield was found to be 69.53%

REFERENCES:

SWADDLE, T. W.,1997. Inorganic Chemistry, An Industrial and Environmental Perspectice.

California: Elsevier Science & Technology Books.

ATKINS, P. et al., 2010. Shriver and Atkins Inorganic Chemistry. 5th edition. Great Britain:

Oxford University Press.

MIESSLER, G.L. and TARR, D.A., Year unknown. Inorganic Chemistry. 3rd edition. Minnesota:

Prentice Hall inc.

HOUSE, J.E., 2008. Inorganic Chemistry. 1st edition. Canada: Elsevier Inc.