Enthalpies of interaction of alkanes and alkenes with polar and nonpolar solvents

One-pot conversion of sugar and sugar polyols to n-alkanes without C-C Dissociation over the Ir-ReOx /SiO2 catalyst combined with H-ZSM-5

High (≥95 % C) yields of n-hexane and n-pentane were obtained by hydrogenolysis of aqueous sorbitol and xylitol, respectively, at 413-443 K by using the Ir-ReOx /SiO2 catalyst combined with H-ZSM-5 as a cocatalyst and n-dodecane as a cosolvent. The direct production of n-hexane from glucose or cellobiose can be achieved by using the same system. The catalyst can be reused simply by the removal of the n-dodecane phase, which contains the product alkane, and the addition of fresh n-dodecane and substrate.

Quantitative Description of the Hydrophobic Effect: the Enthalpic Contribution

A new method of experimental determination of the hydrophobic effect enthalpy is proposed. The method is based on regarding the hydration enthalpy as the sum of the nonspecific hydration enthalpy, specific hydration enthalpy, and the hydrophobic effect enthalpy. The hydrophobic effect enthalpies of noble and simple substance gases, alkanes, arenes, and normal aliphatic alcohols are determined. For the noble gases and alkanes, the hydrophobic effect enthalpy is found to be negative and independent of the size of molecule. For aromatic hydrocarbons, it is positive and grows up with the size of the hydrocarbon. The hydrophobic effect enthalpies of normal aliphatic alcohols are determined by assuming that the specific interaction enthalpies of alcohols in water and in methanol are equal. The hydrophobic effect enthalpy values for the aliphatic alcohols (-10.0 +/- 0.9 kJ.mol(-1)) were found to be close to the alkanes hydrophobic effect enthalpies (-10.7 +/- 1.5 kJ.mol(-1)).

Synthesis and solution properties of gemini surfactants containing oleyl chains

Gemini surfactants 18:1-s-18:1, where s = 2, 3, and 6 methylene groups and 18:1 refers to oleyl carbon chains, have been synthesized, characterized and a number of micelle solution properties measured by using electrical conductance, fluorescence probe emission, light scattering (DLS), surface tension and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) methods at 25 degrees C. The cmc values of 18:1-2-18:1, 18:1-3-18:1, and 18:1-6-18:1 were found to be 26.9, 23.4, and 18.0 microM, respectively, using the electrical conductance method. Surface tension results suggest that in 0.01 N NaCl solutions, the s = 2 and 3 members of the series form multilayer rather than monolayer structures, while the s = 6 homologue adopts a close-packed arrangement. This is consistent with DLS and EM measurements which show vesicle formation for the s = 2 and 3 compounds, and micelle formation for the s = 6 compound. The enthalpies of micellization (deltaH degrees (M)) are more exothermic for the 18:1-s-18:1 series of surfactants, than for the 12-s-12 series. The differences are rationalized in terms of steric and configurational contributions to deltaH degrees (M) arising from difficulties associated with packing of the bulky cis-9-octadecene tails.

Thermochemical investigations of associated solutions: calculation of solute--solvent equilibrium constants from solubility measurements

A simple solution model that has lead to successful predictive equations for the partial molar excess properties of a solute in simple binary solvent mixtures containing only nonspecific interactions is extended to include association between the solute and one of the solvent components. An expression is derived and tested for its ability to describe anthracene solubilities in binary solvent mixtures containing benzene. The best description of the experimental solubilities requires the formation of a 1:1 anthracene-benzene complex, with a molarity-based equilibrium constant of KcAC approximately equal to 0.107 M-1. In comparison, a stoichiometric complexation model which attributes all solubility enhancement to the formation of anthracene-benzene complexes requires a somewhat larger equilibrium constant (KcAC approximately equal to 0.228 M-1) to describe the solubility behavior of anthracene in the benzene-n-heptane system. The results of these calculations illustrate that the determination of solute-solvent equilibrium constants from solubility data depends on the theoretical model used and the manner in which nonspecific interactions are incorporated into the model.