A thermodynamic study of the association of alkali metal cations with dicyclohexano-18-crown-6

A thermodynamic study of the association of Na⁺, K⁺, Rb⁺, and Cs⁺ with dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 in acetonitrile has been carried out at 308, 303, 298, 293, and 288 K using a conductometric technique. The observed molar conductivities, A, were found to decrease significantly for mole ratios less than unity. A model involving 11 stoichiometry has been used to analyze the conductivity data. The stability constant,K, and the limiting molar conductivity, A _c , for each 11 complex were determined from the conductivity data by using a nonlinear least squares curve fitting procedure. The binding sequence, based on the value of logK at 298 K, as derived from this study is K⁺>Na⁺>Rb⁺>Cs⁺. Values of H ^o and S ^o are reported and their significance is discussed.