The solvent effects on the dissociation of the simplest dibasic organic acid were examined from the determination of the first and second dissociation constants of oxalic acid conductometrically and pH-metrically in water + methanol mixtures (087wt of methanol). The solubility values of oxalic acid and potassium hydrogen oxalate were also determined in water + methanol mixtures. The dissociation constant and the solubility values were used to calculate the Gibbs energies of transfer ΔG0t of oxalic acid (H2OX), bioxalate (HOX−), oxalate (OX2−) and potassium (K+) ions from water to aquo-methanolic mixtures. These represent the quantitative measures of solute or ionsolvent interactions of the respective species in going from water to methanol + water mixtures. pK1, pK2 and the solubility values of oxalic acid increase continuously with increase in organic co-solvent. ΔG0t(H2OX) and ΔG0t(H+) are negative i.e. favourable but ΔG0t(H2OX), ΔG0t(OX2−) and ΔG0t(K+) are in general positive and hence unfavourable for the dissociation processes. The increase in basicity fecilitated the dissociation processes but decrease in dielectric constant and H-bonding capability enhance the association processes as the organic co-solvent increases.
Attempts have been made to understand the solvation processes in terms of the structure of the aquo + organic mixtures and Walden products.
The pK values can be suitably utilised to prepare buffer solutions in methanol + water mixtures. The solvent effect and solvation phenomena can be better understood from the collection of single-ion values of transfer. These may be utilised to calculate the solubilities of electrolytes in methanol + water mixtures.
Print ISSN: 0942-9352
Volume: 217, 11/2003
Pages: 1341