Cationic and Anionic Effects on the Glass Transition Temperature for Aqueous Electrolyte Solutions

Glass-forming composition regions of aqueous CH₃COOM (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Tl), CF₃COOM (M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs), and Et₄NX (Et₄ = C₂H₅, X = OH, CH₃COO, Cl, Br, NO₃, and SCN) solutions are reported as a function of water concentration R (R = moles of water per moles of salt). Glass transition temperatures (T _g) were measured by a simple differential thermal analysis (DTA) method with a cooling rate of about 600 K-min^–1. The T _g of all solutions decrease with increasing R (decreasing salt concentration). It is found that T _g at the same R value decrease in the order Na⁺ > Li⁺ > K⁺ > Rb⁺ > Cs⁺ in all glass-forming composition regions of the alkali acetate salt and alkali trifluoroacetate salt solutions. T _g for Et₄NX solutions decrease in the order CH₃COO^– ~OH^– > Cl^– > Br^– > NO ₃ ^– > SCN^–. The effects of the cation and anion on the glass-forming behavior in these aqueous solutions are discussed.