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Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, odourless, poisonous gas that is formed from the incomplete combustion from the fuels of the carbon. This gas is lighter in the air and released naturally as well as from forest fires, volcanic eruptions, and man mode processes. Some common man-made releases of Carbon Monoxide are from fumes of vehicles, engines, furnaces, fireplaces, etc. Carbon monoxide (CO) is formed by one molecule of carbon and one molecule of oxygen which are held by a triple bond.
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Key Takeaways: Carbon Monoxide, Oxidation, Preparation, Reduction, Lewis Structure
Also Read: Difference Between Element and Compound
Carbon Monoxide
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Carbon monoxide gas has a strong ability to affect cell metabolism, as it can cause reactions that deprive cells of oxygen. It disrupts the body’s system by eliminating oxygen storage in muscle cells by binding to and displacing oxygen from myoglobin. It can create effects that are unrelated to the supply of oxygen. In meat processing, CO reacts with myoglobin and forms carboxymyoglobin, resulting in the red appearance of the meat. CO poisoning can cause illness, hospitalisation, and death.
Carbon Monoxide: Structure
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Properties of Carbon Monoxide
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Properties of carbon monoxide are further classified into physical properties and chemical properties.
Physical Properties
- It is lighter than air
- It is a colourless and poisonous gas with a faint smell.
- It is slightly soluble in water.
Also Read: Three states of matter
Chemical Properties
- It is neutral to litmus.
- Formation of addition products:
- Reaction with NaOH - When CO is heated with sodium hydroxide, then sodium formate is formed.
Reaction with NaOH
- Reaction with Chlorine - CO reacts with chlorine in presence of sunlight to make phosgene (carbonyl chloride) which is a poisonous gas.
Reaction with Chlorine
- Reaction with hydrogen - When CO is heated with hydrogen in the presence of ZnO and Cu at 3000C, then methanol is formed.
- Reaction with ammoniacal cuprous chloride (solution) - When CO gas is passed through ammoniacal cuprous chloride, we get cuprous carbonyl chloride as a resultant.
- Reaction with Oxygen (Combustibility) - When CO reacts with O2, it burns in air to form carbon dioxide.
- Reaction with Transition metals - CO reacts with transition metals like nickel, iron, cobalt, etc. under suitable conditions to form an additional compound called metal carbonyls.
Example: When CO gas is passed through nickel at 800C, then nickel tetracarbonyl is formed.
Reducing Character - CO acts as a reducing agent.
- It can reduce iodine oxide to iodine.
- Reduction of tollen’s reagent (ammoniacal silver nitrate solution): It reduces tollen’s reagent to metallic silver.
- Reduction of Fehling’s solution: (Copper sulphate solution in presence of sodium potassium tartrate is known as Fehling’s solution). It reduces Fehling’s solution to red precipitation of cuprous oxide.
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Preparation of Carbon Monoxide
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- It can be prepared by passing steam over red hot coke.
Preparation of Carbon Monoxide
- It can be prepared by burning carbon with oxygen in a limited supply of air.
- It can be prepared by reduction of metallic oxide with carbon.
Carbon monoxide gas can be prepared by heating formic acid or oxalic acid with conc. H2SO4.
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Carbon Monoxide Molecule Lewis Structure
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Carbon Monoxide is a diatomic molecule that contains carbon and oxygen atoms. The Lewis structure of CO molecules contains a triple bond. Both carbon and oxygen atoms have only one lone pair in their valence shells. Both the atoms have eight electrons in their valence shells in the lewis structure of CO. Hence, oxygen atoms have a +1 charge and carbon atoms have a +1 charge.
Lewis Structure of Carbon Monoxide
Uses of Carbon Monoxide
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CO has a variety of uses in manufacturing and medical products.
Manufacturing - Carbon monoxide is used in the manufacturing of hydrogen, heterogeneous catalysts, pure metals, acetic anhydride, formic acid, propanoic acid, N,N-dimethylformamide and acts as a reducing agent in blast furnaces.
Medical - It is used as a marker of respiratory status in spirometry or lung function tests. It can be used to produce aluminium chloride which is a chemical in skin medication.
Food Processing - It is used often in small amounts as a food additive to keep the meat looking red. Meat vendors have reported that it stabilises the red colour for upto 15 days, which helps prevent food waste, the consumers are wary of meat that turns brown, thinking that it has been spoiled.
Carbon Monoxide in Fumigation
Agriculture - A variety of fumigants including CO are used to kill rodents in agriculture. It kills rodents by reducing the amount of oxygen transmitted to their cells.
Read More: Atomic Mass of Elements
Risks & Hazards of Carbon Monoxide
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Carbon monoxide is considered a silent killer as it is very poisonous for health, acutely toxic, and potentially lethal in certain doses. It is extremely flammable and classified as a health hazard. CO build-up is not a result of malfunctioning appliances. When the gas spreads in a smaller area and cannot dissipate, people and animals can get poisoned. Being in an open garage with a running car can cause CO poisoning.
Carbon Monoxide poisoning symptoms
Symptoms of Carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Headache
- Chest pain
- Vomiting
- Upset stomach
- Weakness
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Prevention of CO poisoning
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- Never use a gas or oven for heating indoor spaces.
- Never use portable, flameless chemical heaters indoors.
- By installing a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector in your home.
- Having the chimney checked and cleaned each year.
- If you smell an odour from a gas-powered refrigerator, you should call a repair service.
- Have regular maintenance of your vehicle’s exhaust system for leaks.
Read More: Difference between baking soda and baking powder
Things to Remember
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- CO is an odourless, irritating, colourless gas that can kill quickly.
- CO poisoning happens when combustion fumes are inhaled.
- When we breathe in too much carbon monoxide, our body tends to replace the oxygen in red blood cells with CO. This results in the prevention of oxygen from reaching tissues, the heart, brain, and other organs.
- CO alarms are designed to provide a warning as CO levels in the air approach a dangerous level.
- If you are facing any symptoms of CO, you should seek fresh air immediately. Turn off home appliances and leave windows and doors open to help dissipate the gas.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Why is CO gas extremely poisonous? (2 Marks)
Ans. CO combines with haemoglobin to make carboxyhemoglobin. This results in making the haemoglobin unable to carry oxygen from the lungs to different parts of the body and may cause suffocation and even death. Hence, CO is highly toxic.
Ques. CO is used as a reducing agent in metallurgy but not carbon dioxide, Why? (2 Marks)
Ans. CO reduces other substances and itself oxidises to form CO2 but CO2 is already oxidized form and cannot further reduce other species. Hence, CO is used as a reducing agent but not CO2.
Ques. Write balanced chemical equations giving proper products for the following statements:
1. Water and CO gas is heated over ZnO + Cu.
2. Carbon monoxide is passed over heated caustic soda.(2 Marks)
Ans.
When water and carbon monoxide gas is heated with Zinc oxide and Copper, it forms methanol.
Co(g)+2H2(g)→ZnO+CrO3 CH3OH(I)
When Carbon monoxide is passed over heated caustic potash, Sodium Formate is formed.
Ques. What is dry ice? Why is it called so? (3 Marks)
Ans. Solid carbon dioxide is known as dry ice because its structure is similar to that of ice. Dry ice is primarily used to cool products at lower temperatures. Also, it acts as a cooling agent. It is called dry ice because it sublimes completely and doesn’t leave any residue i.e changes from solid to gaseous state without turning into the liquid state. It is useful for preserving frozen foods where mechanical cooling is unavailable, also used as an alternative to refrigeration medical supplies.
Ques. How can you prove that all the allotropes of carbon contain the same element? (2 Marks)
Ans. 1gm samples of allotropes of carbon are taken in a combustion tube and burnt with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide formed is passed into a calculated amount of NaOH (sodium hydroxide) solution. In all cases, the weight of NaOH solution will increase. This proves that all the allotropes of carbon contain the same element.
Ques. What CO level is dangerous to health? (3 Marks)
Ans. The health effects of CO depend on the CO concentration and length of exposure as well as each individual’s health condition. Its concentration is measured in parts per million (ppm). Many people will not experience any symptoms from prolonged exposure to CO levels of approx 1 to 70 ppm but some heart patients might experience an increase in chest pain. As CO levels increase above 70 ppm, symptoms become more noticeable and include headache, nausea, etc. At concentrations of CO tends to increase above 150 to 200 ppm, unconsciousness, disorientation, and deaths are possible.
Ques. What should you do when a CO alarm sounds? (3 Marks)
Ans. Never ignore an alarming CO alarm.
Immediately move outside to take fresh air.
Call emergency services or the fire department.
If the source of CO is determined to be a malfunctioned appliance, Do not operate the appliance until it has been properly serviced by trained personnel.
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