NMR spectroscopic studies on the mechanism of cellulose dissolution in alkali solutions

It was considered that the dissolution of cellulose in alkali solutions is mainly due to the breakage of hydrogen bonds. As an alkali hydroxide, KOH can provide OH^? just like LiOH and NaOH; but it is well known that LiOH and NaOH can dissolve cellulose, whereas KOH can only swell cellulose. The inability of KOH to dissolve cellulose was investigated and the mechanism of cellulose dissolving in alkali solutions was proposed. The dissolution behavior of cellulose and cellobiose in LiOH, NaOH and KOH were studied by means of ¹H and ¹³C NMR as well as longitudinal relaxation times. The structure and properties of the three alkali solutions were compared. The results show that alkali share the same interaction mode with cellobiose and with the magnitude of LiOH > NaOH > KOH; the alkalis influence the structure of water also in the same order LiOH > NaOH > KOH. The different behavior of the three alkalis lies in the different structure of the cation hydration ions. Li⁺ and Na⁺ can form two hydration shells, while K⁺ can only form loose first hydration shell. The key to the alkali solution can or cannot dissolve cellulose is whether the cation hydration ions can form stable complex with cellulose or not. K⁺ cannot form stable complex with cellulose result in the KOH solution can only swell cellulose.     

The nature of ion exchange selectivity of phenol-formaldehyde sorbents with respect to cesium and rubidium ions

The structure of aqua complexes of alkali metal ions Me⁺(H₂O) _n , n = 1−6, where Me is Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs, and complexes of 2,6-dimethylphenolate anion (CH₃)₂PhO⁻ selected as a model of the elementary unit of phenol-formaldehyde ion exchanger with hydrated alkali metal cations Me⁺(H₂O) _n , n = 0−5, was studied by the density functional method. The energies of successive hydration of the cations and the energies of binding of alkali metal hydrated cations with (CH₃)₂PhO⁻ depending on the number of water molecules n were calculated. It was shown that the dimethylphenolate ion did not have specific selectivity with respect to cesium and rubidium ions. The energies of hydration and the energies of binding of alkali metal cations with (CH₃)₂PhO⁻ decreased in the series Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ > Rb⁺ > Cs⁺ as n increased. The conclusion was drawn that the reason for selectivity of phenol-formaldehyde and other phenol compounds with respect to cesium and rubidium ions was the predomination of the ion dehydration stage in the transfer from an aqueous solution to the phenol phase compared with the stage of binding with ion exchange groups.     

Impact of the alkali cation on the electrocatalytic oxidation of urea and benzyl alcohol on nickel electrode

The effect of electrolyte alkali metal cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, or K⁺) on the electro-oxidation of urea and benzyl alcohol on NiOOH catalyst has been investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry in the presence of an electrolyte containing LiOH, NaOH, or KOH. The catalytic activity toward the electro-oxidation of urea and benzyl alcohol was found to increase in the sequence Li⁺ < Na⁺ < K⁺. This activity's difference is partly caused by different surface blockage abilities by OH–M⁺(H₂O)_x (M: Li, Na, K) clusters, which is similar to many electrocatalytic reactions on Pt reported previously, additionally, incorporation of various cations to the catalyst may induce the activities difference as well.     

Redox chemistry of [Fe2(CN)10]4−. Part I. Reaction with iodide

The iron(III) dimeric complex [Fe₂(CN)₁₀]⁴⁻ is reduced to the iron(III)iron(II) species [Fe₂(CN)₁₀]⁵⁻ by iodide ion, the equilibrium constant being strongly dependent upon the nature of the alkali metal cation, reduction being favoured in the sequence: Cs⁺>NH ₄ ⁺ ≥K⁺>Na⁺>Li⁺. The reaction kinetics are autocatalytic in character, the catalytic species being the mixed valence dimer. The rates of reactions are also strongly catalysed by alkali metal cations, in the same sequence as for the equilibrium constants. The reaction mechanism involves the formation of I ₂ ⁻ as a reactive intermediate which can be oxidised by both [Fe₂(CN)₁₀]⁴⁻ and [Fe₂(CN)₁₀]⁵⁻.     

Structures of 18-Crown-6 Complexes with Alkali Cations in Methanolic Solution as Studied by X-ray Absorption Fine Structure

The structures of 18-crown-6 (18C6) complexes with K⁺ and Rb⁺ in methanolic solutions have been studied by X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) at the Br K-edge as well as at the K and Rb K-edges. The XAFS spectrum at the K or Rb K-edge has indicated that either Br⁻ or solvent (methanol) molecules are present in the first coordination shell of K⁺ or Rb⁺ complexed by 18C6. However, the spectra obtained at the Br-K edge have strongly suggested that the alkali cations do not exist in the vicinity of Br⁻, indicating that no direct ion-pairing occurs between the 18C6 complex and Br⁻. The 18C6-K⁺ complex maintains D _3d symmetry even in methanol, and two methanol molecules coordinate the cation possibly from above and below the crown plane. In contrast, the corresponding Rb⁺ complex possibly forms an umbrella-shaped complex, in which Rb⁺ is situated slightly off the crown plane and three solvent molecules bind With the cation.     

A theoretical study of cation--π interactions: Li+, Na+, K+, Be2+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ complexation with mono- and bicyclic ring-fused benzene derivatives

DFT (B3LYP functional) and MP2 methods using 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set have been employed to examine the effect of ring fusion to benzene on the cation--π interactions involving alkali metal ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) and alkaline earth metal ions (Be²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺). Our present study indicates that modification of benzene (π-electron source) by fusion of monocyclic or bicyclic (or mixture of these two kinds of rings) strengthens the binding affinity of both alkali and alkaline earth metal cations. The strength of interaction decreases in the following order: Be²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺ for any considered aromatic ligand. The interaction energies for the complexes formed by divalent cations are 4–6 times larger than those for the complexes involving monovalent cations. The structural changes in the ring wherein metal ion binds are examined. The distance between ring centroid and the metal ion is calculated for all of the complexes. Strained bicyclo[2.1.1]hexene ring fusion has substantially larger effect on the strength of cation--π interactions than the monocyclic ring fusion for all of the cations due to the π-electron localization at the central benzene ring.     

Aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols with solid alkaline metal hydroxides

Solid alkaline metal hydroxides displayed high catalytic activity and full selectivity in the aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols in a non-polar medium. The activity of the solid bases, in decreasing order of reactivity, was KOH > NaOH ≫ LiOH. Water, which is the only by-product of the reaction, plays a crucial role in KOH deactivation by converting the crystal phase of KOH to KOH · H₂O, as confirmed by XRD measurements.     

Activity coefficients and diffusion coefficients of dilute aqueous solutions of lithium,sodium, and potassium hydroxides

A simplified version of Harned's conductimetric technique has been used to measure binary diffusion coefficients of aqueous lithium, sodium, and potassium hydroxides at 25°C from 0.002 to 0.14 mol-dm^–3. Because of the large difference in mobility between OH^– and the cations, the electrophoretic effect tends to reduce the rate of diffusion of the alkali metal hydroxides; the largest effect is observed for LiOH solutions. The measured diffusion coefficients are in excellent agreement with predictions of the Onsager-Fuoss theory of ion transport. Precise activity coefficients determined from the diffusion measurements are compared with activity coefficients obtained previously by emf methods.     

Electrochemical Behavior of Lithium in Aqueous Solutions of Alkali Metal Hydroxides

Published data on the interaction of lithium with aqueous solutions of alkali metal hydroxides are discussed. The behavior of lithium in aqueous solutions of LiOH and KOH was studied experimentally.