Thermochemistry of formation of copper(II)-ethylenediamine complexes and solvation of reagents in aqueous organic solvents

The heat effects of the reactions of formation of ethylenediamine-copper(II) complexes were determined calorimetrically in mixtures of water with ethanol, acetone and dimethylsulfoxide. The results were interpreted in terms of the enthalpies of transfer (Δ_t H ⁰) of the complex former, the ligand and the complex ion from water to binary solvents. In water—DMSO mixtures, the Δ_t H ⁰ values for copper(II) and complex ions were found to change in similar ways, and their contributions to the reaction heat effects compensate each other to a large extent. Thus, the reaction enthalpy change due to solvent composition variation is caused mainly by the changes in ligand solvation enthalpies. In aqueous ethanol and acetone solutions, the changes in Δ_t H ⁰ for all reagents influence the heat effect equally.