The influence of the size and position of the alkyl groups in alkylimidazole molecules on their acid‐base properties

Dissociation constants of HL⁺ acids, where L stands for 1‐alkylimidazole, 1‐alkyl‐2‐methylimidazole, 1‐alkyl‐2‐ethylimidazole, 1‐alkyl‐2‐propylimidazole, 1‐alkyl‐4‐methylimidazole and 1‐alkyl‐2‐ethyl‐4‐methylimidazole, were determined potentiometrically. For each of the homologous series of these bases, a relationship has been derived between the pK_a value and the number of carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon group for (CH₂)_n ≤ 13. The basicity of the alkylimidazoles has been found to increase linearly with increasing carbon chain length. The slopes of straight plots of pK_a = f(n_CH2) have been found to increase with increasing basicity of homologous series of the alkylimidazoles.