Dimerization of some substituted benzoic acids in aqueous solution from conductance measurements

Precision molar conductances of benzoic, o-toluic, 2,6-dimethylbenzoic, 2,3,6-trimethylbenzoic, and, o-fluorobenzoic acids have been determined in aqueous solution as a function of temperature and of concentration up to near saturation (<0.035 M). At the higher concentrations molar conductances are found to be less than anticipated for the simple dissociation of a 1-1 electrolyte. Although the deviations are only 1% or less they have been interpreted to show that these acids are dimerized in solution. The interpretation includes an assumption that the dimer ionizes to produce a triple ion. Increasing numbers of methyl groups lead to increasing dimerization. For those acids with two ortho groups the dimerization increases with increasing temperature while the other three show decreasing dimerization with increasing temperature. Temperature functions have been determined for the dimerization constants and from these functions standard changes in enthalpy, entropy, and heat capacity have been determined. Comparisons are made with dimerization studies in non-aqueous solvents. From these as well as the behavior of benzene in water it is concluded that a major factor driving the dimerization is hydrophobic interaction. To provide a limiting conductance of the triple ion needed in the dimerization calculations a conductance study was also made for o-Phenylbenzoic acid on the assumption that its anion provides an approximate model of the triple ion.