Interactions in water-alcohol mixtures: Conductance of lithium picrate in solutions of water and isomeric pentanols at 25°C

Conductance measurements of lithium picrate in solutions of water in n-pentanol, 2-pentanol, 3-pentanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol have been carried out at 25°C. Ionic association and conductance were found to change with water content and with the molecular structure of the alcohols (i.e. position of the OH group and degree of branching of the alkyl chain). These results indicate that both conductance and ion pair formation are not the consequence of the simple motion of ions in the electrical field as required by the continuum model. A more realistic approach, involving the internal structure of the solvent mixtures, has been considered.