Solution behaviour in alcohols and phase transitions of cadmium(II), mercury(II) and lead(II) carboxylates

Data were obtained for the solution behaviour of cadmium(II) and mercury(II) carboxylates in alcohols. A brief survey of the arguments about the existence of micelles and the current models of surfactant aggregation in non-aqueous media is presented. The plots of solubility against the carboxylate or alcohol chain length are linear for both cadmium and mercury soaps with the solubility having values higher in secondary than primary alcohols. The solution behaviour of metal 9, 10-dihydroxyoctadecanoates shows the effect on solubility, of substitution of dihydroxyl groups at the middle of the carbon chain. Recrystallisation temperatures of the dihydroxyoctadecanoates suggest the loss of stereochemical configuration in solution and indicate similarity in the mode of aggregation. The solution temperatures of cadmium soaps are very close to the temperatures of their phase transitions while those of mercury and lead soaps are lower than their fusion or phase transition temperatures. This behaviour is interpreted to be due to differences in the energy required for the disruption of the crystal structure which dominates the solubility mechanism.