Isabel Andrea Zurita Aguilar

Tin (IV) Iodide

Introduction
Our practice is about tin (IV) Iodide that is a volatile and covalent molecule. It is
a red-orange crystalline solid very sensitive to moisture.

Abstract

First of all, the system displayed was

assembled of a reaction flask provided
with a reflux condenser with a CaCl2 tube.
This flask is charged with a mixture of 4 g of
iodine in 7.5 cm3 of toluene and 1 g of finely
divided Sn grit.

Image 1: Practice assembly

Second, The heterogeneous mixture was

heated under reflux with a heated stirring
plate. We could observe the end of the
reaction by the red-orange color of the
solution and the absence of I2 violet
vapors. In this part of the practice, my flask
was broken when I try to remove it of
condenser, and I used my classmate’s data.
Image 2 :Mixture heated
 Isabel Andrea Zurita Aguilar

Other day, The hot solution was rapidly filtered to remove the solid that had
not reacted and the filtrate was allowed to cool thereby crystallizing a red-
orange product, which is filtered and washed with small amounts of cold
toluene. More product could obtaine by concentrating the mother liquor,
providing that moisture was avoided.
Image 3 : Product filtered

Reaction
It is a redox reaction

Semi. Reduction: 2×(I2+ 2e- 2I-) Ɛº=0,53V

Semi. Oxidation: Sn  Sn4++4e- Ɛº=-0,01V

Ionic reaction: 2I2+ Sn Sn4+ +4I-

Ɛº= Ɛºred - Ɛºoxi=0,53-(-0,01)=0,54V
Global reaction: 2I2+ Sn SnI4

Calculations

1 mo l 1 mo l   S n I 4 118,71+ ( 126,9 ∙ 4 ) g
4 g  I2∙ ∙ ∙ =4,935 g S n I 4
253,81 g 2m o l   I 2 1 mo l   S n I 4

Complementary test
1. Dissolve a little amount of SnI4 in 5 cm3 of dry acetone and add a
few drops of water. Comment what happens and write the reaction
that takes place.
It is a hydrolysis reaction because SnI4 is easier to hydrolize. We can observe
precipitation Sn(OH)4when water is added. Dissolution turn to yellow color, but
white precipitate.
 Isabel Andrea Zurita Aguilar

Half reactions :

Oxi. :   I 4− ¿ → I + 4 e− ¿ ¿ ¿
¿

Red. :        2 ∙( 2 H O +2 e−→ 2O H −+ H

)
2 2

Ionic reaction: 4 H 2 O + I ¿4−¿ →2 I 2 +4 O H

−+4
H
)¿

Global reaction : S n I 4 + 2 H 2 O+ 2C 3 H 6 O→S n( O H )4 +2 I 2 +2 C3 H 6

2. Calculate the yield.

mempty =8,55g
mfilter =9,52g
mtotal =10,21g
mTotal (100%) : 4,935g SnI4
mobtained :1,66g SnI4

yield=   mo b t a i n e d ∙ 100= 1,66 g ∙ 100=33,64 %

mt o t a l 4,935 g

Questions
1. SnI4 hydrolyzes with moisture, it dissolves untransformed in
almost all organic solvents and meltsat 143 °C. Discuss these
facts and compare its boiling point with those of other tin
halogenides (use the bibliography to search for this data).

Given their molecular character, all of them are soluble in solvents organic and
hydrolyzed in water. Tin tetraodide is a solid molecular melting at 143.5 ºC
SnI4 has inner d orbitals and has a big size, for that, polarizability increases
going down the group.

Due to SnI4 is a tetrahedral structure crystallizes as a bright orange solid that

dissolves easily in non-polar solvents such as benzene.

If we compare other tin halogenides, we can observe when the size of the
atoms in the halogens decreases by going up in the group the boiling point also
decreases.

2. Why is tin(IV) iodide solid and yet tin(IV) chloride is liquid

under normal conditions?

Because there are stronger intermolecular forces going down the gruop due to
increases size, therefore, it is more polarizable the molecule tin(IV) iodide.

3. Why should all the material be perfectly dry?

 Isabel Andrea Zurita Aguilar

Because water that remains of clean the material can react with SnI 4 and it can
form another compound.

4. Why a calcium chloride tube is attached to the reflux condenser?

Because it acts as a dessicant and capture water molecules from atmosphere
coming inside and react with SnI4

5. What role does toluene play in the development of experiment?

It is a solvent with high boiling point.

References

“Yoduro de estaño”, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. México.

https://amyd.quimica.unam.mx/pluginfile.php/6697/mod_resource/content/1/Yoduro
s%20de%20esta%C3%B1o.pdf
Shriver, D.F.; Atkins, P.W. “Inorganic chemistry”. 4ª ed. Oxford University
Press. Oxford, 2006.
“Tin (IV) iodide”, A. G. Massey, Main Group Chemistry, 2nd ed., John Wiley, New York,
pp. 213 – 264.
http://alpha.chem.umb.edu/chemistry/ch371/documents/3.TinIodide.pdf