Vapor pressure studies of hydrophobic association. Thermodynamics of fluorobenzene in dilute aqueous solution

An automated vapor pressure apparatus has been used to obtain measurements of the vapor pressure of aqueous solutions of fluorobenzene at temperatures of 15, 25, 35, and 45°C, and in the concentration range 0 to 0.011M. The results have been interpreted to infer the dimerization constant of fluorobenzene in very dilute aqueous solutions, equivalent to the second virial coefficient of interaction between fluorobenzene molecules. The hydrophobic association of fluorobenzene molecules is thermodynamically quite similar to that of benzene at comparable temperatures and concentrations. A dimerization constant of fluorobenzene of 0.56 M^–1 at 30°C and an endothermic enthalpy of association equal to 3.9 kcal-mol^–1 are calculated from the measurements.