Properties of very dilute alcohol solutions

Abstract

A detailed study is reported of the association behaviour of normal alcohols in very dilute solution (c < 0.2 mol/dm³) in benzene, carbon tetrachloride and alkane solvents using experimental i.r., N.M.R., dielectric constant, enthalpy and free energy of mixing data. The concentration dependence of the degree of association F(c) has been derived from these data and the results compared and critically assessed. The derived F(c) data have been found to be independent of the property used, while the hydrogen-bonding propensities of the OH groups are found to be independent of the alcohol chain length. The implications of the form of F(c) for association models is discussed and used together with dipole-dipole correlation data g(c) to obtain information on imer structure. An indication has been obtained of the cause of the distinctive forms of the F(c) and g(c) functions found for alcohol solutions in the different types of solvent.