New Physico-Chemical Properties of Extremely Diluted Solutions. Electromotive Force Measurements of Galvanic Cells Sensible to the Activity of NaCl at 25 °C

The mean ionic activity coefficients for sodium chloride in the NaCl+H₂O binary system have been experimentally determined at 298.15 K, from electromotive force measurements of the cell:

Physico-chemical properties of aqueous extremely diluted solutions in relation to ageing

An extensive study has been carried out on aqueous ‘extremely diluted solutions’ (EDS). The employed experimental methodologies were well established physico-chemical techniques: flux calorimetry, conductometry, pH-metry, e.m.f. of suitable galvanic cell. The obtained results show that the preparation procedure significantly alters the physico-chemical behaviour of such solutions. Moreover, the analysis of the experimental data vs. the ‘arrow of time’ turned out to be astonishingly important. In fact some measured physico-chemical parameters evolve with time. Some experimentally measurable physico-chemical properties of the solvent water were largely affected by both time and the ‘life path’ of the samples. In particular, we evidenced two new experimental phenomena characterizing the EDS: the presence of a series of maximums in the measured electrical conductivity vs. the sample age; the dependence of said maximums on the volume of the EDS during its ageing. All of these new experimental results clearly suggest the presence of an extended and ‘ordered’ dynamics involving the whole of the water molecules in the liquid. A temporal evolution, featuring three maximums in the course of four years of ageing and the dependence on the ageing volumes do not fit the framework of classical thermodynamics. It therefore seems appropriate to interpret these phenomena on the basis of the thermodynamics of dissipative structures, which are far from equilibrium systems.     

The role of ethanol in extremely diluted solutions

We carried out a systematic study on the role of ethanol as a cosolvent in the preparation of aqueous extremely diluted solutions (EDS). We have studied EDS prepared in water containing 1 % ethanol and measured their electrical conductivity and heat of mixing to determine how these solutions differ from those prepared in pure water. The results showed that, as occurs also for the EDS in water, these ethanolic solutions exhibit peculiar effects relating to container volume and storage time (ageing). Our data show a remarkable increase in the conductivity of the EDS in 1 % ethanol, as compared to EDS prepared in water solvent, especially after prolonged storage higher than about 250 days (ageing effect). In each case, the values of conductivity for the hydroalcoholic solvent were approximately four times those for water after an ageing period of 2,178 days. For the study of volume effect, we found that conductivity changes only slightly with decreasing volume. It’s important to underline that the studied volumes were in the 0.25/2.0 mL range. The calorimetric measurements reveal that the presence of ethanol affects heat of mixing with alkaline solutions differently compared to the conductivity. In fact, heat of mixing is not very sensitive to the presence of ethanol, but in contrast with conductivity it shows remarkable sensitivity to volume effects. Our working hypothesis to account for these peculiarities is the presence of water molecule aggregates.     

On the stability of extremely diluted solutions to temperature

Conductometric and calorimetric titrations of extremely diluted solutions (EDS) were performed by adding HCl or NaOH solutions. The aim of this work was to confirm the hypothesised presence of molecular aggregates of water molecules in EDS stored for 15 months at 5 different temperatures. Conductometric and calorimetric measurements on the EDS samples revealed significant differences compared to the solvent. The experimental data can be interpreted as indicating a favourable interaction between the H₃O⁺ and OH^? ions and the dissipative structures, leading to the formation of complexes between the two ions deriving from probes and the molecular aggregates of water molecules. These results suggest that storing EDS at different temperatures does not alter the non-equilibrium changes in the supramolecular structure of water in the studied solutions.     

Thermodynamic parameters for the binding process of the OH<Superscript>−</Superscript> ion with the dissipative structures. Calorimetric and conductometric titrations

Conductometric and calorimetric titrations of Extremely Diluted Solutions (EDS) were performed by adding HCl or NaOH solutions. The aim of this study is to obtain further confirmation of the hypothesized presence, in the EDS, of molecular aggregates of water molecules. The measurements on the EDS evidenced some relevant differences compared to those on solutions with just water as solvent. The conductivity and the pH caused by adding the titrant, namely NaOH or HCl, were markedly different to those of the control solutions. We suppose that the preparation procedure of the EDS could produce non-equilibrium changes in the supramolecular structure of water. The experimental results were interpreted by considering the interactions that can take place between the OH⁻ or H₃O⁺ and the hypothesized molecular aggregates of water molecules i.e. dissipative structures. A comparison was made about the nature of the driving force that leads to the formation of the complexes between the two ions deriving from probes and the molecular aggregates of water molecules (dissipative structures). In this study, we have determined the thermodynamic parameters of association between molecular aggregates of water molecules (dissipative structures) in the EDS and OH⁻ or H₃O⁺ probe ions. The experimental results were interpreted by considering a favorable interaction between the H₃O⁺ and OH⁻ ions and the dissipative structures, due, probably, to steric hindrance and chemical affinity with the aggregates.     

Specific stimuli‐responsive antipolyelectrolyte swelling of amphiphilic gel based on methacryloxyethyl dimethyloctane ammonium bromide

An amphiphilic electrolyte, methacryloxyethyl dimethyloctane ammonium bromide (MODAB), was synthesized by quaternization of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) with 1‐bromooctane. Then amphiphilic PMODAB gel was synthesized by radiation cross‐linking with ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate as cross‐linker. PMODAB gels possess distinguished different swelling behaviors with those of DMAEMA hydrogels: (1) Antipolyelectrolyte phenomenon was observed in NaCl solution, that is, a remarkable increment of equilibrium degree of swelling (EDS) in the low NaCl concentration region (10^?4 to 10^?3 mol L^?1), followed by a significant decrease (10^?3 to 0.2 mol L^?1), and a collapsed state (>0.2 mol L^?1); (2) Compared with PDMAEMA, PMODAB was a temperature‐sensitive polymer which showed an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) behavior. The EDS of PMODAB gel dramatically increased at the UCST; (3) In the 0.2 mol L^?1 NaCl solutions, PMODAB gel swelled more significantly in a basic condition (pH > 10) than that in an acidic condition. The special volume phase transition behavior of PMODAB gel is ascribed to the hydrophobic interaction between octyl groups and the formation of ion‐cluster between tetra‐alkyl ammonium cation and Br^?, which lead to the aggregation of gel structure and could be affected by the composition and temperature of the surrounding solution. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 473–480, 2008     

‘Extremely diluted solutions’ as multi-variable systems

A large number of thermodynamic and transport measurements were conducted on ‘extremely diluted solutions’ (EDS). The physico-chemical results presented here allow us to hypothesize that the process of iterated dilutions and succussions is capable of modifying in a permanent way the features of water. A really intriguing phenomenon was the evolution of two physico-chemical properties with time. The calorimetric and conductometric measures were carried out as a function of the age of the samples. We found a good linear correlation between these two independent parameters, also as a function of time. A careful study of the phenomenon puts in evidence that these solutions are characterised by multiple independent variables. The EDS behave as complex systems, influenced by peculiar aspects of the preparation technique and also by the storage conditions. The EDS are far-from-equilibrium systems, capable of auto-organising themselves as a consequence of little perturbations.     

Adsorption and colloidal behaviour of traces of tellurium(IV) in aqueous solutions

Various NaCl solutions containing traces of tellurium(IV) have been prepared. The effects of tellurium(IV) concentration and pH on the adsorption of tellurium(IV) on filter paper have been studied by filtration method. The effects of NaCl concentration, tellurium(IV) concentration and pH on the formation of a colloid have been also studied by ultracentrifugation and ultrafiltration methods. It has been found that tellurium(IV), at concentrations below about 10^–10M, in neutral NaCl solutions is adsorbed on filter paper and shows colloidal behaviour.     

Characterization of Silicate Complexes in Aqueous Sodium Sulfate Solutions by FAB-MS

When the sodium ion (Na⁺) concentration is increased above 0.5 mol-dm⁻³ (M), the concentrations of dissolved silica in aqueous sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) solutions decrease because of the salting out effect. On the other hand, the concentration of the dissolved silica in aqueous sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄) solutions increases monotonously as the concentration of Na⁺ is increased above 0.5 M. The purpose of this study is to determine the reasons why the salting-out effect is not observed in Na₂SO₄ solutions. FAB-MS (Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry) was used to sample directly the silica species dissolved in aqueous Na₂SO₄, NaCl, and NaNO₃ solutions. In the FAB-MS spectra of these solutions, the peak intensity ratios of the linear tetramer to the cyclic tetramer largely increased for Na⁺ concentrations between (0.1 and 1) M. This shows that some characteristics of the Na₂SO₄ solutions are similar to those of the NaCl and NaNO₃ solutions. In Na₂SO₄ solutions, however, when the concentration of Na⁺ is higher than 1 M, the peak intensity of the dimer is much higher than those of the other silicate complexes. In Na₂SO₄ solutions, the SO₄²⁻ ion undergoes partial hydrolysis to form HSO⁻₄ and OH⁻ is produced. In particular, in the range where the concentration of SO₄²⁻ is high, the pH of the solution increases slightly. This higher pH yields more dimers from the hydrolysis of silicate complexes. This increase in dimer production agrees with the observation that silica dissolves in sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions mainly as a dimer when the concentration of NaOH is less than 0.1 M. In Na₂SO₄ solutions at high concentrations, a salting-out effect is not observed for silica. This is due to the increase in the concentration of OH⁻, which accelerates the hydrolysis of silica and results in dimer formation.     

Micellization and adsorption of a zwitterionic surfactant: N-dodecyl betaine-effect of salt

Time-resolved fluorescence quenching, self-diffusion measurements and calorimetric investigations have been used in order to investigate the effect of salt on aggregation in aqueous solutions and the adsorption onto silica gel of the zwitterionic surfactant N-dodecyl betaine (NDB).

The micelle aggregation number of NDB stays constant when the NDB or salt concentration increases but decreases with an increase of temperature. Evidence is presented for the binding of cations and anions to micellar aggregates. The degree of binding has been obtained for Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Cl⁻ ions; it is always larger for the anion.

Enthalpies of micellization were obtained directly from calorimetric curves of NDB in dilution experiments. The observed decrease of the endothermic enthalpies of micellization with increasing temperature or salinity is attributed to a structural change in the water molecules around the alkyl chain of the free monomers.

The adsorption isotherms of NDB onto silica gel depend very little on temperature, and a plateau is reached near the CMC. At saturation, the adsorbed amount of NDB depends on the salt and follows the sequence NDB < (NDB + NaCl) < (NDB + CaCl₂).

The exothermic differential molar enthalpies of adsorption demonstrate the same behaviour as the enthalpies of micellization with varying temperature or salinity. Adsorption onto silica gel depends on the NDB concentration, the salt concentration and temperature.     

A thermodynamic characterization of aqueous nanostructures of water molecules formed by prolonged contact with the hydrophilic polymer Nafion

This work investigates the physicochemical alterations of water perturbed by prolonged contact with the hydrophilic polymer Nafion, referred to as iteratively nafionized water (INW). The parameters measured are: electrical conductivity, χ μS cm^?1, heat of mixing with basic sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions, ΔQ _NaOH ^mix  J kg^?1, and pH. The results indicate that supramolecular aggregates of water molecules form after prolonged contact with a Nafion surface. Analytical determination by ion chromatography allows us to exclude the role of contaminants. This suggests that water may possess an exceptional self-organization capability triggered by the contact with a hydrophilic surface. Conductometric, pH-metric, and calorimetric titrations of INW were performed by the addition of NaOH solutions to determine the concentration of the aqueous nanostructures, via conductometric and pH-metric titration with NaOH solutions. Thermodynamic parameters were determined via calorimetric titration, for the process of formation of complexes between the nanostructures and the base used.     

Rodlike micelles of dimethyloleylamine oxide in aqueous NaCl solutions,and their flexibility and size distribution

Angular dependence of light scattering from aqueous NaCl solutions of dimethyloleylamine oxide has been measured in the presence of NaCl from 5×10^–4 M to 10^–1 M at 25 °C. The molecular weight and radius of gyration of micelles increase with increasing micelle concentration and reach constant values, suggesting occurrence of the sphere-rod equilibrium dependent on the micelle concentration. With increasing NaCl concentration, rodlike micelles are larger in molecular weight and become longer. The micelles formed at NaCl concentrations higher than 10^–3 M are nearly monodisperse when the micelle concentration is high.Rodlike micelles of dimethyloleylamine oxide in 10^–2 M and 5 × 10^–2 M NaCl solutions have molecular weights of 4,760,000 and 6,900,000, respectively, and behave as semi-flexible or wormlike chains. In 5×10^–2 M NaCl they have a contour length of 5750 Å and a persistence length of 1760 Å. These micelle parameters correspond to the end-to-end distance of 3780 Å and the number of Kuhn's statistical segments of 1.64. The large aggregation number of the rodlike micelles is induced by the strong cohesion of long hydrocarbon chains in solution, and their flexibility is caused by the hydration of amine oxide groups.     

Calorimetric and optical study of micellar aggregates of sodium taurodeoxycholate

Calorimetric measurements, carried out on aqueous solutions of sodium taurodeoxycholate at different NaCl concentrations, show that the molar heat of dilution decreases with the bile salt concentration and, to a lesser extent, with the NaCl concentration. Circular dichroism spectra, recorded from aqueous solutions of bile salt as a function of concentration, change the sign of the molar ellipticity under 230 nm.¹H NMR spectra show an increase of the half-height line width of the C₁₈ methyl group with the concentration of both bile salt and NaCl. These results, together with those inferred from viscosity measurements, favour the assumption of a model, observed from the crystal structure of sodium taurodeoxycholate and based on an equilibrium between two types of helices.     

Adsorption kinetics of an organic dye by wet hybrid gel monoliths

Wet hybrid gel monoliths are prepared with bis(trimethoxysilylpropyl)amine (TSPA) or the mixture of TSPA with n-propyltriethoxysilane (PTES) or bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane (TSH) or tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as precursors. The adsorption kinetics of an organic dye (erioglaucine disodium salt, EDS) by the gel monoliths in aqueous solutions is studied comprehensively. The effects of temperature, pH, and ionic strength on the adsorption kinetics are investigated. Kinetic studies show that in general the kinetic data are well described by the pseudo second-order kinetic model. Initial adsorption rate increases with the increase in temperature, but decreases with the increase in solution pH and ionic strength. The adsorption activation energy is found to be 17–51 kJ mol⁻¹ under our experimental conditions. The internal diffusion of the dye into the hybrid gels appears to be the rate-limiting step of the overall adsorption process. The adsorption is promoted by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic attractions in acidic or neutral solutions, suppressed by the electrostatic repulsion in basic solutions and by the ionic exchange competition of Cl⁻ with the dye anions in solutions with a high NaCl concentration. After adsorption for 165 h, all the gel monoliths present a linear shrinkage less than 10%.     

Effect of Electrolytes on Redox Reactivity of Polypyrrole

Doping and dedoping characteristics of polypyrrole (PPy) formed electrochemically have been examined by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Dodecylsulfate ions (DS⁻) and perchlorate ions (ClO⁻₄) were embedded simultaneously in PPy when both ions were present on the polymerization of pyrrole. Sequential formation of PPy in the single dopant system allowed PPy/ClO₄ to grow in the bulk of PPy/DS but not vice versa. DS⁻ was embedded not to leave the polymer on reduction but ClO⁻₄ moved in and out of the polymer on redox reaction. Cyclic voltammetry was employed to determine the redox reactivity of PPy in different electrolyte systems. NaClO₄ was a better electrolyte for cyclic redox reaction than LiClO₄ or KClO₄. NaCl was a good electrolyte for cyclic redox reaction but Cl⁻ failed to penetrate in the PPy/DS bulk on reoxidation. The cyclic redox reactivity lasted longest when PPy/DS was redox-cycled sequentially in the NaCl electrolyte system and then in the NaClO₄ system. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental,DFT studies and molecular dynamic simulation on the corrosion inhibition of carbon steel in 1 M HCl by two newly synthesized 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives

In the present work, two new 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives namely, 5-(((2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)methyl) 8-hydroxyquinoline [HBMQ] and 5-(((4-chlorobenzylidene)amino)methyl) 8-hydroxyquinoline [CBMQ] were synthesized and investigated as corrosion inhibitors against the dissolution of carbon steel (C38 steel) in 1 M HCl. These compounds were obtained with high yield, and their structures were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and elemental analysis. Gravimetric, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization (PDP), and surface morphology analyses utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to quantify inhibitory performance. The adsorption process of inhibitory compounds was then demonstrated using quantum mechanics approaches such as Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Molecular Dynamic Simulation (MD). Based on EIS results, the investigated derivatives effectively inhibit the degradation of C38 steel over the entire concentration range with a maximum efficiency of 91.9% and 88.0% for [CBMQ] and [HBMQ], respectively, at 10^?3 M. In addition, the PDP studies revealed that [HBMQ] and [CBMQ] compounds acted according to a mixed-type mechanism. Moreover, the adsorption mechanism follows the Langmuir isotherm model. The quantum theoretical study by DFT and MD simulation confirmed the experimental results.     

NaCl对琼脂糖凝胶电泳法分离单壁碳纳米管的影响

如何获得单一导电属性的单壁碳纳米管(SWCNT),使其在各领域得到更广泛的应用,引起了科研人员越来越多的关注.琼脂糖凝胶电泳(AGE)法以其简便,低成本,可规模化等优点在分离金属型(m-)和半导体型(s-)单壁碳纳米管的诸多分离方法中体现出独特的优势.本文利用紫外-可见-近红外(UV-Vis-NIR)吸收光谱分析手段,系统研究了NaCl的添加对AGE法分离SWCNT的影响.研究发现NaCl的添加对SWCNT的分离有一定的影响:当NaCl添加量低于70 mmol.L-1时,可以提高分离后体系中s-SWCNT的相对含量;当NaCl添加量高于70mmol.L-1时,随着添加量的增加,NaCl的加入开始抑制m-SWCNT和s-SWCNT的有效分离;当NaCl添加量达到160 mmol.L-1时体系分离效率明显降低.我们推测这种影响主要是由盐的添加改变了分散剂在m-SWCNT和s-SWCNT表面的吸附结构引起的.     

Effect of aging time and salt on the viscosity behaviour of a Gemini cationic surfactant

Rheological properties of micellar solutions of a cationic Gemini surfactant, 2-hydroxypropyl-1,3-bis (dodecyldimethylammonium chloride), are studied as a function of aging time and salt addition. The results show that the self-aggregating behaviour in solution changes as a factor of time, probably due to intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The viscosity of the solution undergoes a series of visible changes so that the solution changes from a flow state to highly viscoelastic state, and finally, to a transparent solid, with a corresponding 4–6-fold increase in zero shear state viscosity. Rheology and freeze fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM) measurements show rod-like micelles at the beginning, which then change to wormlike micelles, and eventually to a quasi-gel-like network. Addition of an inorganic salt (NaCl) induces salting out, while the addition of an organic salt (NaSal) promotes micellar growth. At a fixed NaSal-to-surfactant molar ratio of 3:5, all solutions show Maxwell fluid behaviour and maximum zero-shear-rate viscosity; these trends can be attributed to the formation of a network structure between the cationic ions of the surfactant and Sal^– as the surfactant concentration increases. Crystal analysis further confirms the presence of structures linked by intermolecular hydrogen bonds.     

Accurate tracer diffusion coefficients of Na+ and Cl− ions in dilute aqueous sodium chloride solutions measured with the closed capillary method

A simple and absolute closed capillary method is introduced for measuring tracer diffusion coefficients in liquids with both - and -active tracers. In this method a narrow capillary is partially filled with a labelled solution and an unlabelled solution is used to fill the rest of the capillary. The diffusion coefficient is obtained from the time dependence of the monitored activity when the length of the capillary is known. The method has been tested by remeasuring the tracer diffusion coefficients of²²NaCl and Na³⁶Cl for solutions covering a wide range of total NaCl concentration. The average precision of the measurements was about 0.3%. The results obtained for Na³⁶Cl tracer diffusion are in good agreement with the data found in literature. The²²NaCl tracer diffusion coefficients that were measured in dilute solutions agree well with those obtained using the continuous open-ended capillary method but differ from results for solutions between 0.1 and 1M obtained with the diaphragm cell method.