Solution behaviour of lead(II) carboxylates in organic solvents

The solution behaviour has been studied of a series of even chain length lead(II) carboxylates (octanoate to octadecanoate) and the odd chain length lead(II) heptadecanoate in a variety of non-complexing organic solvents and in alcohols. In agreement with previous studies, solubility increases dramatically above a certain temperature, which depends on solute concentration, chain length and solvent. This solution temperature is also affected by traces of water. These results are complemented by studies using vapour pressure osmometry, dynamic light scattering, ¹H and ¹³NMR spectroscopy. The results in water-free systems are consistent with the formation of rather ill-defined, polydisperse aggregates, which increase in size with concentration and decrease with temperature. These show similar local structure to lamellar mesophases in the pure lead(II) carboxylates, and are suggested to be formed by solvent induced swelling and break-up of these mesophases. In the presence of water, a more ordered structure is formed, in which a few water molecules are suggested to be bound to the lead(II) carboxylate headgroup.