Partial molal expansibilities of organic compounds in aqueous solution. I. Alcohols and ethers

The temperature dependence of limiting apparent molal volumes ° in water for some alcohols (methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-butanol, 3-pentanol, 3-hexanol, 2,5-hexanediol, cyclopentanol, cyclohexanol, cycloheptanol, and 1,4-cyclohexanediol) and ethers (trimethylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-dioxane, 1,4-dioxane, 1,3-dioxepane, 1,3,5-trioxane, dimethoxymethane, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, diethoxymethane, and diethyl ether) has been studied in the temperature range 10–50°C by means of an automatic digital-readout dilatometer. Values of the thermal expansion coefficient * = (1/°)(°/T)_p have been obtained at several temperatures and discussed together with literature data on expansibilities of related compounds. The data show a wide spectrum of values of ^* at low temperatures which is narrowed at the higher ones. The expansibilities of monofunctional alcohols increase with increasing temperature; the opposite effect is observed for polyhydric alcohols. The ^*'s of ethers are very slightly temperature dependent and are much higher, at low temperature, than those of alcohols having the same ratio ofn _o/n_c. These results are discussed in terms of solutewater interactions, and a possible interpretation is put forward.