Activity coefficient assumptions in the determination of association constants. VII. Explicit assumptions in the analysis of solubility and absorbance measurements on thallium(I) chloride and bromide

Abstract

In an attempt to resolve discrepancies between association constants obtained from solubility and absorbance measurements for thallium(1) chloride and bromide the explicit assumptions used in the various analyses have been considered in detail. It is shown that the discrepancies can be accounted for in part by considering the activity coefficient of the complex TlCl or TIBr, and, more importantly, by allowing for the presence of small amounts of higher complexes in analysing absorbance data. It is also shown, in determining association constants using a specific ionic activity coefficient expression, that uncertainties in some interaction coefficients reduce the usefulness of our solubility measurements in non-common ion salts. In particular, it is concluded, using the specific ionic interaction coefficient expression, that association constants can at present only be arrived at from solubility measurements by specifying arbitrary interaction coefficients for thallium(1) and halide ions; and to obtain association constants using a non-specific ionic activity coefficient expression it is necessary to assume unnecessarily arbitrary subsidiary association reactions as well as an arbitrary value for the activity coefficient parameter B.