ABSTRACT
Local interactions between unlike molecules (1-2) in solution are commonly measured with spectroscopy and used to estimate local composition. Herein, a viscosity model based on preferential solvation (PS) theory is developed for aqueous and nonaqueous binary liquid mixtures containing a dipolar aprotic solvent that provides local composition considering the hydration or solvation shell around complex (1-2) molecules. Spectral-derived and viscosity-derived local composition distributions showed similar trends with bulk composition, and their correspondence is attributed to characteristics of the hydration or solvation shell. Viscosity-derived local compositions were consistent with literature molecular simulations, whereas spectral-derived local composition distributions contained artifacts. The PS viscosity model is also applicable to nonpolar-polar mixtures for which self-association occurs, and it can be used to estimate solvent mixture dipolarity/polarizability. Since the PS viscosity model only requires bulk viscosity, it may provide a means to estimate microviscosity or the solvent environment around biomolecules.
ABSTRACT
Aqueous mixtures of dipolar aprotic solvents (acetonitrile, γ-valerolactone, γ-butyrolactone, tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane, acetone, pyridine, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide) show synergism in microscopic polarity and extrema in macroscopic viscosity (η) and molar excess enthalpy (HE) in water-rich compositions that correlate with solvent functional group electrostatic basicity (ß2H). Microscopic polarities of aqueous solvent mixtures were estimated by measuring the spectral shift (λmax) of 4-nitroaniline with UV-vis spectroscopy at 25 °C. Dynamic viscosities (η) and densities were measured for eight aqueous dipolar aprotic mixtures over the full range of compositions at (25 to 45) °C. The λmax, η, and HE values of the aqueous mixtures showed a linear trend with increasing electrostatic basicity of the solvent functional groups that is attributed to the size and strength of the hydration shell of water. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed for 1:3 complexes (solvent: (H2O)3) and it was found that aqueous mixtures with high basicity have high binding energies and short hydrogen bonding distances implying that the size and strength of the hydration shell of water is proportional to functional group basicity. Consideration of functional group basicity of dipolar aprotic solvents allows one to relate synergism in microscopic polarity to extrema in macroscopic properties for a wide range of aqueous dipolar aprotic solvent mixtures.
ABSTRACT
Kamlet-Taft solvatochromic parameters (polarity, basicity, acidity) of hydrogen bond donor (HBD)/acceptor (HBA) mixed-solvent systems, water (H2O)-γ-valerolactone (GVL), methanol (MeOH)-GVL, ethanol (EtOH)-GVL, H2O-γ-butyrolactone (GBL), MeOH-GBL, and EtOH-GBL, were measured over their entire composition region at 25 °C using UV-vis spectroscopy. Basicity of H2O-GVL and H2O-GBL systems exhibited positive deviation from ideality and synergism in the Kamlet-Taft basicity values. The cybotactic region around each indicator in the mixed-solvent systems was analyzed with the preferential solvation model. Both H2O-GVL and H2O-GBL mixed-solvent systems were found to be completely saturated with mutual complex molecules and to have higher basicity than pure water because water prefers to interact with GVL or GBL molecules rather than with itself. Formation of H2O-GVL and H2O-GBL complex molecules via specific hydrogen bond donor-acceptor interactions were confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. In MeOH-GVL or MeOH-GBL mixed-solvent systems, MeOH molecules prefer self-interaction over that with GVL or GBL so that synergistic basicity was not observed. Synergistic basicity and basicity increase for various functional groups of ten mixed-solvent (water-HBA solvent) systems can be quantitatively explained by considering electrostatic basicity and a ratio of the partial excess HBA solvent basicity with the HBA solvent molar volume that correlate linearly with the preferential solvation model complex molecular parameter (f12/1). Analysis of the cybotactic region of indicators in aqueous mixtures with the preferential solvation model allows one to estimate the trends of mixed-solvent basicity.
ABSTRACT
Hydrogen bond donor/acceptor mixed-solvent systems for solutes that exhibit strong specific interactions are not readily characterized with methods that depend on solvatochromic parameters. In this work, the reaction of two monomers, 4,4'-oxidianiline (ODA) and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA), to form the common engineering plastic precursor, poly(amic acid) (PAA), are studied for the tetrahydrofuran (THF) mixed-solvent systems (THF-methanol, THF-ethanol, THF-water) with spectroscopy. Solute-centric (SC) KamletTaft solvatochromic (K-T) parameters for the solvent environment around the monomer are determined using a proposed model that incorporates spectroscopically determined local composition (X(L)) around the ODA monomer and the preferential solvation model. For the example reaction to occur under homogeneous conditions, mixed-solvent conditions need have HBA-rich local compositions (0.30 < X(HBA)(L) < 0.83), high solute-centric basicity (ß(SC) > 0.60), high solute-centric polarity, (π(SC)* > 0.63), and low solute-centric acidity (α(SC) < 0.63). The method developed allows characterization of mixed-solvent effects and can be readily extended to other systems that have strong specific interactions.
