Abstract
Solvent molecules are involved in acid-base equilibria as acceptors or donors of protons, so that the acidic or basic strength of a substance varies with the nature of the solvent. The lower alcohols resemble water, in that they can form the ions ROH2+ and RO- , but their dissociation is less than for water ((pKCH3OH=16.7, PKC2H5OH=19.1, cf. pKw= 14.0). Consequently, substances dissolved in alcohols are weaker acids and bases than in water. Other factors influencing acidic and basic strengths in solutions include the dielectric constant and solute-solvent interactions which, in mixed solvents, can lead to the further complication of selective ordering of solvent molecules around ionic species.
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© 1974 D. D. Perrin and Boyd Dempsey
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Perrin, D.D., Dempsey, B. (1974). Buffers for use in Partially Aqueous and Non-Aqueous Solvents and Heavy Water. In: Buffers for pH and Metal Ion Control. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5874-6_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5874-6_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-0-412-21890-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-5874-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive